Published: Less than 10 min ago
An experiment with a probe rocket from the Esrange space base will create spectacular light phenomena, the Institute for Space Physics (IRF) announces.
Sometime between March 12 and 22 – clear skies and minimal wind are a prerequisite – space scientists from the IRF with the help of the Swedish space company SSC will launch the rocket with equipment to study conditions in near-Earth space (the ionosphere).
“To succeed with the research experiment, the IRF uses technology similar to fireworks that the probe will activate when it is at an altitude of over 100 kilometers,” says IRF researcher Tima Sergienko, chief responsible for the experiment, in a press release.
Upon activation in the ionosphere, colorful light phenomena are formed that will be visible in the evening sky approximately one hour after sunset.
The goal of the experiment is to find important puzzle pieces in aurora research that can enable better space weather forecasts.