NASA's bold mission to unravel the mysteries of black auroras takes flight from Alaska, marking a significant step in understanding the complex 'circuitry' of these captivating light displays. But here's where it gets controversial: while most auroras occur when solar wind collides with Earth's atmosphere, black auroras present a unique phenomenon where electrons shoot up into space. This week, two suborbital sounding rockets launched from Alaska's Poker Flat Research Range, carrying the Black and Diffuse Auroral Science Surveyor (BADASS) mission, aimed to study these elusive events. The rockets, reaching altitudes of 224 miles (360 km), successfully gathered high-quality data, shedding light on the electron stream reversal and its causes. Meanwhile, the Geophysical Non-Equilibrium Ionospheric System Science (GNEISS) mission, pronounced 'nice', used a pair of sounding rockets to create a 'CT scan' of the electric currents flowing in the northern lights. With data from the two rockets and a network of ground receivers, researchers will create a three-dimensional view of an aurora's electoral environment, offering a deeper understanding of these awe-inspiring displays and their impact on our planet.
