the-star-stuff:
Giant Veil of “Cold Plasma” Discovered High Above EarthClouds of charged particles stretch a quarter the way to the moon, experts say.
Clouds of “cold plasma” reach from the top of Earth’s atmosphere to at least a quarter the distance to the moon, according to new data from a cluster of European satellites.
Earth generates cold plasma—slow-moving charged particles—at the edge of space, where sunlight strips electrons from gas atoms, leaving only their positively charged cores, or nuclei.
Researchers had suspected these hard-to-detect particles might influence incoming space weather, such as this week’s solar flare and resulting geomagnetic storm. That’s because solar storms barrage Earth with similar but high-speed charged particles.
Still, no one could be certain what the effects of cold plasma might be without a handle on its true abundance around our planet.
“It’s like the weather forecast on TV. It’s very complicated to make a reasonable forecast without the basic variables,” said space scientist Mats André, of theSwedish Institute of Space Physics.
“Discovering this cold plasma is like saying, Oh gosh, there are oceans here that affect our weather,” he said.
llustration courtesy J. Huart, ESA
WHAT?
(via lickystickypickywe)
the-star-stuff:
Giant Veil of “Cold Plasma” Discovered High Above EarthClouds of charged particles stretch a quarter the way to the moon, experts say.
Clouds of “cold plasma” reach from the top of Earth’s atmosphere to at least a quarter the distance to the moon, according to new data from a cluster of European satellites.
Earth generates cold plasma—slow-moving charged particles—at the edge of space, where sunlight strips electrons from gas atoms, leaving only their positively charged cores, or nuclei.
Researchers had suspected these hard-to-detect particles might influence incoming space weather, such as this week’s solar flare and resulting geomagnetic storm. That’s because solar storms barrage Earth with similar but high-speed charged particles.
Still, no one could be certain what the effects of cold plasma might be without a handle on its true abundance around our planet.
“It’s like the weather forecast on TV. It’s very complicated to make a reasonable forecast without the basic variables,” said space scientist Mats André, of theSwedish Institute of Space Physics.
“Discovering this cold plasma is like saying, Oh gosh, there are oceans here that affect our weather,” he said.
llustration courtesy J. Huart, ESA
WHAT?
(via lickystickypickywe)
Posted 4 months ago 80 notes View high resolution
Notes:
-
trustnobtch liked this
-
thatsnotmyhand liked this
-
thatsnotmyhand reblogged this from drunkenbanana
-
iggymogo liked this
-
lesmarin reblogged this from daydreamering
-
daydreamering reblogged this from lickystickypickywe
-
kazzxz reblogged this from the-star-stuff
-
drunkenbanana reblogged this from lickystickypickywe
-
nohetero liked this
-
the11dimensions liked this
-
therearepeoplewho liked this
-
code-pi reblogged this from likeaphysicist
-
sufigeek liked this
-
snowhiteice liked this
-
hcdragon liked this
-
hcdragon reblogged this from likeaphysicist
-
arielnietzsche reblogged this from likeaphysicist
-
likeaphysicist reblogged this from the-star-stuff
-
4percent-pantomime reblogged this from lickystickypickywe
-
iixjustinx liked this
-
immortalrights reblogged this from lickystickypickywe
-
darylelockhart reblogged this from the-star-stuff
-
kelliwisethebrave liked this
-
somatoform liked this
-
privaterunner liked this
-
psychedelicmandala liked this
-
psychedelicmandala reblogged this from the-star-stuff
-
deltaomega liked this
-
corteously reblogged this from lickystickypickywe
-
llamallamaredpajama reblogged this from lickystickypickywe
-
demonparty8123 reblogged this from lickystickypickywe
-
nosajgames liked this
-
furrific liked this
-
danielleannhaogo liked this
-
pavlovsstepson reblogged this from lickystickypickywe
-
spoken-nerdsfinesthour reblogged this from vault--girl
-
lana-got-coned liked this
-
shorterexcerpts liked this
-
roomwithadejaview liked this
-
motionsensorsoundtrack reblogged this from lickystickypickywe
-
nerdygertie liked this
-
iambeelzebub reblogged this from lickystickypickywe
-
creeperstatus liked this
-
wokeupstrange liked this
-
skythaz reblogged this from the-star-stuff
-
megggganmaxxxxcy liked this
-
wherethespiritmeetsthebone reblogged this from lickystickypickywe
-
phyz reblogged this from the-star-stuff
-
nevereverbutalways liked this
-
thetimeswevehad liked this
- Show more notes