Heliophysics Education Community meeting presentation – June 2026
| Levels |
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|---|---|
| Material Type |
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| Heliophysics Big Ideas |
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| NGSS |
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| Heliophysics Topics |
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| Heliophysics Missions |
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| Material Cost per Learner | Free |
| Language | English |
Presentation | Grades 6-12+ | Like crime scene investigators, two scientists use clues at the "crash site" and work backward to investigate the cause. As principal investigators of rocket missions, they fly rockets through active auroras to reveal what sent them on their destructive courses. In this presentation to the Heliophysics Education Community, Drs. Marilia Samara and Robert Michell present on their research of flickering auroras. Auroras are caused by particles from the Sun that run into and dance with Earth's magnetic field. Seen usually toward the North and South Poles, some may appear as ribbons of colors in the night sky. Others flicker or pulsate, or are riddled with holes. Launching sounding rockets help us learn the causes of different types of auroras, understand our space environment, and protect spacecraft and astronauts.
Credit: NASA HEAT