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(Narrator) We often underestimate how beautiful a scientific discovery can be. When the
THEMIS satellite fleet launched in 2007, the mission set out to investigate what
triggers sub storms. Sub storms are atmospheric events visible in the
northern hemisphere as a sudden brightening of the northern lights or Aurora Borealis.
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One such sub storm in March 2008 produced lightning fast
Aurora with the energy of a moderate earthquake.
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NASA scientists found the answer to this mysterious behavior an massive energy in giant magnetic ropes.
These can be as wide as the Earth itself serve as conduits for solar wind
particles which collide with the Earth's magnetic field and charge the
spectacular sub storms and Aurora's. These ropes are evidence of a direct
connection between the Sun and the Earth's upper atmosphere. It is when
these ropes form and unravel that the highly energetic solar wind ignites the
Earth's magnetic field and lights up the northern sky providing a celestial dance
that is captivated observers since ancient times.
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