Heliophysics Topics
Space Weatherrocket ready for launch
1999 — April 6, 2011
A NASA rocket is poised to blast off from Norway to study Space Weatherhigh above the Arctic circle.
Io or Bust
1999 — April 6, 2011
NASA's Galileo spacecraft flies by Callisto today in an orbital maneuver designed to send the craft hurtling towards an encounter with the volcanic moon Io. Getting there won't be easy. The spacecraft has to survive extreme radiation from Jupiter's inner magnetosphere before it can rendezvous with Io later this year.
Learning how to make a clean sweep in space
1999 — Sept. 20, 2011
How do you clean dust in space where a vacuum cleaner won't work? A solution starts with understanding how a single grain of dust - in this case, like that from rocket motors - behaves in space.
Up, Up, and away to the Magnetosphere
1999 — April 6, 2011
A Space Weatherrocket blasted off from a launch pad in Norway, early this morning. During its successful 20 minute flight, its instruments gathered valuable data on the auroral fountain, where solar wind directly interacts with Earth's atmosphere.
Rocket will study Space Weathereffects
1999 — April 6, 2011
Scientists plan a CAPER to study the solar wind high above the arctic circle, in Norway. They hope to find out how atoms from Earth's upper atmosphere have escaped to become part of Earth's "auroral fountain."
Arctic CAPER ready for countdown
1999 — April 6, 2011
A rocket set to study Space Weathereffects will launch from above the arctic circle very soon if all goes well.
How do gusts in solar wind stir the aurora?
1999 — April 6, 2011
NASA Scientist studies data from 3 satellites to figure out what stirs up Earth's Northern Lights.
The Warp and Woof of a Geomagnetic Storm
1999 — April 6, 2011
Using a team of three satellites, scientists are studying what happens when a solar coronal mass ejection strikes the Earth. This story includes a new Quicktime animation of a coronal mass ejection and the aurora borealis.
Plasma, Plasma, Everywhere
1999 — April 6, 2011
A NASA scientist has created a new model of the plasmasphere surrounding our world, building on the work of previous models. Earth's complicated plasma environment directly affects our life on Earth - from radio transmissions and power grids to satellite safety.
Aurora Alert
1999 — April 6, 2011
A blast of solar wind from the Sun on October 21 is creating strong geomagnetic storm conditions a day later. The Ultraviolet Imager onboard the POLAR spacecraft has captured dramatic images of the storm as seen from Earth orbit.