NASA studies the space around our home planet to protect our technology and satellites flying through it.
We call this region geospace.
At first glance, it appears empty.
But invisible particles and magnetic fields create a space weather system that can impact our space assets.
To understand space weather, there are tools to make the invisible processes, visible.
Soft x-rays map the outer boundaries of geospace.
The borders of Earth’s magnetic field protect our planet from radiation.
Energetic neutrals survey charged particles trapped in Earth’s magnetic field.
These particles can fuel storms in geospace.
Radiation from hydrogen highlights where Earth’s outer atmosphere interacts with space.
Some of our atmosphere leaks into space through the exosphere.
Extreme ultraviolet light shows the cold, dense pool of particles closest to Earth.
The plasmasphere shrinks and swells during space weather events.
The aurora, which we can see with our own eyes, is also visible in far ultraviolet light.
Auroras visibly trace out the magnetic field lines near Earth.
Extreme ultraviolet light reveals the layer of space closest to Earth.
GPS signals and radio waves can be distorted when traveling through this region.
Optical imagers, which take pictures in visible light, show the ionosphere and aurora.
Astronauts need to be protected from radiation in the ionosphere.
Together, these specialized tools can help map the invisible processes in geospace.