Heliophysics Topics
Surprises from the Edge of the Solar System
2006 — April 6, 2011
NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has entered a new realm of space, and it's beaming back some surprises.
'tis the Season for Auroras
2001 — April 6, 2011
Lately, sky watchers have been enjoying plenty of Northern Lights. Indeed, say researchers, autumn is a good time to spot auroras. But why? Read this story and find out.
Honey, I Blew Up the Tokamak
2009 — Sept. 20, 2011
NASA is planning a daring new mission to investigate the Universe's favorite way of making things explode. Unlocking the secrets of "magnetic reconnection" could help alleviate the energy crisis on Earth.
Geomagnetic Storm
2000 — April 6, 2011
A major geomagnetic storm hit our planet on Thursday after an interplanetary shock wave passed by Earth on April 6, 2000. Displays of the northern lights were spotted in Europe, Asia, Canada, Alaska and in the continental US as far south as North Carolina. The storm appears to be subsiding, but forecasters note that more Auroraemight be visible Friday night.
Polar Substorm
2000 — April 6, 2011
Last week, an interplanetary wind storm hit our planet with a gale of energetic particles from the Sun. During the storm, a strong gust of solar wind triggered aurora captured by the Ultraviolet Imager on NASA's Polar satellite.
Brushfires in the Sky
2000 — April 6, 2011
Stargazers around the globe were treated to an unexpected and rare display of red-colored aurora on April 6-7, 2000 after a vigorous interplanetary shock wave passed by Earth. This story includes a gallery of more than 40 images showing the northern lights over Europe and parts of the United States as far south as Florida.
The Stuff Between the Stars
2000 — April 6, 2011
The cosmos is laced with tiny specks of dust that decide the fate of young stars and planets. Now, NASA scientists here on Earth can study the properties of far-flung space dust using special laboratory facilities at the Marshall Space Flight Center.
From the Drawing Board to the Stars
2000 — April 6, 2011
In this scientific human interest story, Dr. Jim Burch describes what it's like to visualize a modern space mission and then, years later, to make it happen. Burch shares his experiences as a competitor for mission funding, as a coordinator of far-flung personnel, and as an onlooker during launch.