Exploring Earth's Magnetism

  • Released Thursday, January 15, 2015
View full credits

In March 2015, NASA will launch four spacecraft to study how magnetic fields around Earth connect and disconnect—a process known as magnetic reconnection. Magnetic reconnections take place on the day and night side of the planet and are caused by the interaction of Earth’s magnetic field with charged particles released from the sun called the solar wind. The four spacecraft, each identically engineered, make up the Magnetospheric Multiscale, or MMS, mission. Flying in a pyramid-shaped configuration, the spacecraft will orbit Earth and pass through areas known to be reconnection sites. Each reconnection event unleashes a massive burst of energy that can accelerate particles within Earth’s protective magnetic environment, known as the magnetosphere, to nearly the speed of light. Sensors onboard the spacecraft will measure the energy and movement of charged particles during an event, providing scientists with the first three-dimensional look at this phenomenon. Watch the video to learn more.

Four NASA spacecraft will probe the near-space environment around our planet for magnetic explosions.

Four NASA spacecraft will probe the near-space environment around our planet for magnetic explosions.

Find out more about the MMS mission in this video.

On the night side of Earth, magnetic reconnection is believed to help trigger aurorae.

On the night side of Earth, magnetic reconnection is believed to help trigger aurorae.

On the day side of Earth, magnetic reconnection funnels material and energy from the sun into Earth's magnetic environment.

On the day side of Earth, magnetic reconnection funnels material and energy from the sun into Earth's magnetic environment.

The MMS spacecraft will observe magnetic reconnection events by traveling through known reconnection regions near Earth.

The MMS spacecraft will observe magnetic reconnection events by traveling through known reconnection regions near Earth.

For More Information

See NASA.gov

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

This page was originally published on Thursday, January 15, 2015.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:50 PM EDT.