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Helio and You: June 2026

The northern lights were seen over Alaska the night of Feb. 16, 2017 at the the Poker Flat Research Range north of Fairbanks. Credit: NASA/Terry Zaperach
Levels
  • Intermediate (6-8)
  • Advanced (9-12+)
Material Type
  • Article/Informative Text
Heliophysics Big Ideas
  • Big Idea 1.1 – The Sun is really big…
  • Big Idea 1.2 – The Sun is active…
  • Big Idea 1.3 – The Sun’s energy drives Earth’s climate…
  • Big Idea 2.2 – The Sun defines the space…
  • Big Idea 2.3 – The Sun is the primary source of light…
NGSS
  • ESS1 - Earth's Place in the Universe
  • ESS2 - Earth's Systems
  • ESS3 - Earth and Human Activity
  • PS3 - Energy
Heliophysics Topics
  • Atmosphere
  • Aurora
  • Biosphere
  • Climate Change
  • Corona
  • Coronal Mass Ejection
  • Ecosystem
  • Energy
  • Geomagnetic Field
  • Geomagnetic Storm
  • Light
  • Magnetosphere
  • Physics
  • Seasons
  • Solar Cycle
  • Solar Wind
  • Solar Flare
  • Sun
  • Sunspot
  • Technology
Heliophysics Missions
  • Sounding Rocket
Material Cost per Learner Free
Language English

As the only state to lie partly within the Arctic Circle, Alaska experiences a wide range of extreme conditions. But with these extremes comes the chance to conduct science vital to understanding the Sun-Earth system, including launching sounding rockets to study solar flares, auroras, and other phenomena. This article explores the ways that scientists use Alaska's extreme environment to their advantage, and is connected to educational resources that help K-12+ teachers explain this research and related concepts in simple, engaging ways for students.

Find the article here ↗