Low South Pole Solar Wind Conditions (11 May 1999)

  • Credit

    NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Polar Visible Aurora: Low Solar Wind Conditions on May 11, 1999 over the South Pole

On May 11, 1999, the solar wind that blows constantly from the Sun virtually disappeared. Dropping to a small fraction of its normal density and to half its normal speed, the solar wind died down enough to allow physicists to observe particles flowing directly from the Sun's corona to Earth. This severe change in the solar wind also drastically changed the shape of Earth's magnetic field and produced a rare auroral display at Earth's North Pole.

Visible aurora over the South Pole on May 11, 1999 as measured by Polar

Metadata

  • Sensor

    IMAGE/VIS

  • Animation ID

    787

  • Video ID

    SVS1999-0029

  • Start Timecode

    1:08:58:24

  • End Timecode

    1:09:29:15

  • Animator

    Greg Shirah

  • Studio

    SVS

  • Visualization Date

    1999/12/08

  • Scientist

    David Chenette (LMATC), John B. Sigwarth (University of Iowa), Mike Carlowicz (NASA/GSFC)

  • Keywords

    Solar Wind, Electron Fluxes, Upper Atmosphere

  • DLESE Subject

    Space science, Geophysics

  • Data Date

    1999/05/11

  • Pao ID

    g99-103_space

  • Animation Type

    Regular