Northern lights glimmer with unexpected trait

Courtesy EurekAlert! - Chemistry, Physics and Materials Sciences  Thu, 04/24/2008 - 23:00

(American Geophysical Union) Some light in Earth's aurora glow is polarized -- a state not thought possible for the aurora, new observations indicate.

The findings may improve understanding of EarthÂ’s upper atmosphere, its magnetic field, and the energies of particles from the Sun.

If detected also in the atmospheres of the other planets, such polarization may help map the Sun's extended magnetic field, researchers say.

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