ROCKET TO THE AURORA
The Aurora

Dawn of the North

Hundreds of years ago, auroras were a source of fascination and superstition. The shimmering, shifting, curtain of colored light that seemed to float on the air prompted legends and stories to be created by people living in the high northern regions.  Most of the time the aurora seen in the sky were white-green in color.  Sometimes, great red auroras were seen and those living in the lower latitudes thought these auroras brought omens of war or destruction.

As people began to become curious about the aurora and study it, theories developed. Some thought that auroras were reflected sunlight from the arctic ice, others thought it was firelight from the edge of the world. We know a lot more about the aurora today, but still have a lot of questions. Scientists, like those involved in the FAST satellite program and the sounding rocket campaigns, are solving the pieces of the aurora puzzle.

 
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