The International Space Station saw the Southern Lights in 2012 because of the interaction of energy and particles from the sun with gases in the atmosphere. Credit: NASA–CC BY-SA IGO 3.0
A solar eclipse over the northern part of the planet changed the appearance of the Auroras in the northern and southern hemispheres, according to a new study. Scientists can use the new work to predict changes in the near-Earth environment that can affect satellite communication.
On 10 June 2021, the moon's shadow darkened the northern polar region, giving scientists an unprecedented opportunity to explore the impacts natural events have in Earth's space.
A new study published in the AGU journal Geophysical Research Letters states that the eclipse affected the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
When solar storms shoot out energy and particles that interact with gases in the atmosphere, there are Auroras. The northern and southern lights are created by particles that travel along the lines of Earth's magnetic field to the poles.
In the Southern Hemisphere, where the eclipse did not cover, the upper atmosphere was disturbed. The upper atmosphere in the two hemispheres is connected through the magnetic field lines.
On June 10, 2021, there was a solar eclipse. A new study shows that the shadow cast by the moon caused a change in the total electron content of the atmosphere of the Northern hemisphere. The blue shadow of lower-than-normal electron content follows the eclipse across the Northern hemisphere, and the right panels show the changes specifically caused by the eclipse. Credit: Tong Dang.
The new research shows for the first time how an eclipse affects the ionosphere and the magnetosphere.
The eclipse caused rings around the poles to form in the currents in the ionosphere and changed the activity of the Auroras in both hemispheres. The electron density in the atmosphere is disturbed by the charged particles.
The new research could help predict the effects of future eclipses. The impact of the solar eclipse on the ionosphere, which can absorb, bend and reflect the radio signals used by Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, could cause problems in communication and navigation.
The ionosphere is being ringed.
The upper atmosphere around Earth is covered by thegeospace. The ionosphere consists of regions of the upper atmosphere with large numbers of charged particles. The charged particles are created when the sun's energy knocks electrons off of gas in the atmosphere.
A solar eclipse can reduce the density of particles in the ionosphere.
The model developed by Dang and his team combined the upper atmosphere, the magnetosphere and electrical currents to understand how the solar eclipse affected Earth's space.
The current system in the ionosphere is complicated, so the researchers focused on the currents flowing between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere along the magnetic field lines. The lines run from the South Pole to the North Pole.
They were surprised that the eclipse caused stronger activity in the unobscured Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere. Observers could possibly see the changes in the sky.
"This is unique and interesting research that modeled global impacts of the solar eclipse," said Nishimura, who was not involved in the research. People don't think about the connection between the solar eclipse and the Aurora because it is a daytime phenomenon and the Aurora is a night phenomenon at high latitudes. This research demonstrated the impact of an eclipse on the Aurora.
The Global Effects of a Polar Solar Eclipse on the Ionosphere System was written by Xuetao Chen. The DOI is 10.1029/2021GL096471.
The journal contains information about research.
The North Pole solar eclipse excited the Auroras on the other side of the world.
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