Year 1: Discovering Earth Science

Excerpt from essay on solar wind:

"During the 11 year cycle of solar activity spikes and declines the auroras advance and recede into the hemispheres. Most of the time the auroras are easily seen in Alaska and Canada as well as all of Antarctica. During the spikes in the solar wind the auroras can be seen as far as the latitude of 40 degrees. In extreme cases they have been spotted as far as the tropics.

Although the solar winds are always blowing the auroras can only be seen at night. Most nights they last for approximately an hour. In times of peak wind activity they last all night. These lights vary in color from red to green and arch across the sky in a sort of midnight rainbow.

Every second of the day and night our Sun sends out a breeze of plasma. Without these solar winds our world would surely expire from massive radiation overload. And without these winds our pole skies would be a black canvas at night. We need these winds and this beauty to survive."

Tuesday, September 05, 2006