Earth's elusive 'ignorosphere' could shed new light on auroras

image via Space.com

January 21, 2025, 11:00 PM

• •Japanese scientists have created the first-ever long-term dataset about Earth's entire atmosphere, stretching all the way to space.
• •The dataset covers the period between September 2004 and December 2023 and will enable researchers to explore and model some of the mysterious phenomena that take place at higher altitudes, including the mesmerizing aurora borealis and its antipodean counterpart, the aurora australis.
• •The data will also help researchers better model how processes in the lower atmosphere affect the ionosphere, the part of the atmosphere above altitudes of 50 miles (80 km), where gaseous particles are constantly ionized by the solar wind.

Japanese scientists have created the first-ever long-term dataset about Earth's entire atmosphere, stretching all the way to space. They hope the project will help shed light on some little-explored processes taking place inside our planet's gaseous shroud, including the magnificent northern lights.

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