Mission News
Artist's conception of a blast of magnetic waves arriving from space at the eye of a storm and then launching a series of concentric outward propagating ripples. Credit: Any Kale/Univ. of Alberta› Larger image Using data from NASA's THEMIS mission, a team of University of Alberta researchers has pinpointed the impact epicenter of an earthbound space storm as it crashes into the atmosphere, and given an advance warning of its arrival.
The team's study reveals that magnetic blast waves can be used to pinpoint and predict the location where space storms dissipate their massive amounts of energy. These storms can dump the equivalent of 50 gigawatts of power, or the output of 10 of the world's largest power stations, into Earth's atmosphere.
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The Mission
THEMIS is a mission to investigate what causes auroras in the Earth's atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of color. Discovering what causes auroras to change will provide scientists with important details on how the planet's magnetosphere works and the important Sun-Earth connection.
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Mission Features
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Magnetic Tremors Pinpoint Epicenter of Space Storms
Using data from NASA's THEMIS mission, a team of University of Alberta researchers has pinpointed the impact epicenter of an earthbound space storm as it crashes into the atmosphere.
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"Singing" Electrons Protect and Threaten TV and GPS
Electrons – the particles that carry electricity – can both protect and disrupt your satellite TV or GPS navigator with a "song".
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Sun Often "Tears Out A Wall" In Earth's Solar Storm Shield
Earth's magnetic field, which shields our planet from particles streaming outward from the sun, often develops two holes that allow the largest leaks, according to researchers sponsored by NASA and the National Science Foundation.
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THEMIS Finds Trigger of Northern Lights Eruptions
Researchers have discovered that an explosion of magnetic energy powers sudden brightenings and rapid movements of the Northern Lights.
News and Events
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Spring is Aurora Season
03.04.08 - For reasons not fully understood, auroras are more common in the spring than at other times. The five-craft THEMIS fleet may help scientists determine why.
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NASA Spacecraft Make New Discoveries About Northern Lights
THEMIS has made three important discoveries about spectacular eruptions of Northern Lights called "substorms" and the source of their power.
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THEMIS Status - July 16, 2007
07.16.07 - Status report on the THEMIS spacecraft as of July 16, 2007.
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NASA's THEMIS Mission Launched to Study Geomagnetic Substorms
02.17.07 - NASA's Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms mission successfully launched Saturday, Feb. 17 at 6:01 p.m. EST from Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral.
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Launch of THEMIS Postponed 24 Hours
02.16.07 - The launch of NASA's THEMIS spacecraft aboard a Delta II rocket was scrubbed tonight six minutes before launch due to out-of-limit upper level winds.
Launch Coverage
Launch of THEMIS
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Multimedia
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Watch the THEMIS story →
All about the THEMIS satellites in a short video package.
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THEMIS Movie Trailer
› View This Video -
THEMIS All Sky Imaging Movie
› View these Quicktimes
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THEMIS at KSC
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THEMIS Lithograph
 "THEMIS launch animation")
