Northern Lights

An image of the aurora borealis over Quebec and Ontario taken in 2023 by a joint NASA/NOAA satellite

Astronomy

Interplanetary shock wave angles are key to infrastructure threat

Giant shock waves emanating from the Sun can give us some breathtaking auroras here on Earth. They can also cause energy surges that can damage our infrastructure, says a new study that looks at how their angles of impact shape their consequences.

Scientists have directly observed the mechanics of the Northern Lights for the first time

Physics

Scientists lay eyes on the inner workings of the Northern Lights for the first time

Few natural light shows come more spectacular than the legendary Northern Lights. For the first time, scientists in Japan have now directly observed its inner mechanics, confirming once and for all a long-held hypothesis and furthering our understanding of one of the world's great natural wonders.

An aurora appearing in the night sky at the Kjell Henriksen Observatory in Svalbard, Norway, taken November 2010 (Photot: Njaal Gulbarndsen)

Science

NORUSCA II camera sheds new light on auroras

A new camera called NORUSCA II has produced the first-ever hyperspectral images of the aurora borealis (or northern lights) and may have uncovered a previously unknown atmospheric phenomenon.