2014
March 11, 2014
THEMIS Discovers New Process that Protects Earth from Space Weather
NASA's THEMIS mission observed how dense particles normally near Earth in a layer of the uppermost atmosphere called the plasmasphere can send a plume up through space to help protect against incoming solar particles during certain space weather events. More information
2013
February 28, 2013
Van Allen Probes Discover a New Radiation Belt
Earth's radiation belts were one of the first discoveries of the Space Age. A new finding published in today's issue of Science shows that we still have much to learn about them. NASA's twin Van Allen Probes, launched just last August, have revealed a previously unknown third radiation belt around Earth.
Previous observations of the Van Allen belts dating back to the late 1950s have documented two distinct regions of trapped radiation surrounding our planet, known as the inner and outer radiation belts. Particle sensors aboard the twin Van Allen Probes quickly revealed to scientists the existence of a transient, third radiation belt. Scientists observed the third belt for four weeks before a powerful interplanetary shock wave from the sun annihilated it.
More Information
2012
November 21, 2012
NASA Renames RBSP Mission to Honor Pioneering Physicist James Van Allen
NASA has officially renamed the recently launched mission to study Earth's radiation belts the Van Allen Probes, in honor of the late James Van Allen.
The new name of the mission, previously called the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP), was announced during a Nov. 9, 2012 ceremony at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md. APL built the probes and manages the mission for NASA. James Van Allen was the head of the physics department at the University of Iowa and is recognized for his discovery in 1958 of radiation belts encircling Earth.
More Information
September 18, 2012
NASA Probes Record Sounds Of Space
by Jon Hamilton, NPR
Twin spacecraft rdecently began orbiting the earth, and the probes have been sending back strangely beautiful recordings of the sounds of space. Scientists call it the chorus. The sounds come from the magnetosphere, an area where charged particles from the sun interact with the earth's magnetic field. Read the transcript here. Listen here.
August 30, 2012
NASA Launches Radiation Belt Storm Probes
NASA’s Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP), the first twin-spacecraft mission designed to explore our planet’s radiation belts, launched into the predawn skies at 4:05 a.m. EDT today from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Read more here.
The Origin of Plasmaspheric Hiss - May 8, 2009 (Science article, PDF - 317kB)
An Observation Linking the Origin of Plasmaspheric Hiss to Discrete Chorus Emissions - May 8, 2009 (Science article, PDF - 3MB)
Cosmic chorus fills the Earth's magnetic field with a mysterious "hiss" - May 8, 2009(Story from Yahoo! News, PDF - 31kB)
Earth's Magnetic Field Hisses Due to Distant "Chorus"
- May 7, 2009 (National Geographic News, PDF - 22kB)
"Singing" Electrons Protect and Threaten Your TV and GPS - May 7, 2009 (NASA Press release)
“Space tornadoes” cause Northern Lights, claim scientists- April 24, 2009 (An article published in Sindh Today, PDF - 29kB)
Giant space tornadoes create Earth's auroras - April 23, 2009 (An article from www.newscientist.com, PDF - 159kB)
New Finding Shows Super-Huge Space Tornados Power the Auroras - April 23, 2009 (An article from www.universetoday.com, PDF - 340kB)
THEMIS satellite tracks electrical tornadoes in space - April 23, 2009 (An article from PhysOrg.com, PDF - 22.2kB)
Electricity Measured Inside Space Tornadoes - April 23, 2009 (An article from www.space.com, PDF - 88kB)
Cluster finds new clues on what triggers space tsunamis (An article published on the European Space Agency website, also available in PDF - 74kB)
- April 12, 2007
THEMIS Weights In On The Northern Lights (News release article from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, also available in PDF - 96kB)
- March 14, 2007
Petersburg H.S. geology study to be filmed
by McNeal Leher (HTML article published in the Petersburg Pilot, also availabe in PDF - 368kB)
- Mar 8, 2007
Brodelnde Physik macht Lust auf Schule (HTML article, in German, published on newsclick.de, also availabe in PDF - 41kB)
- Mar 6, 2007
THEMIS, à la source des aurores polaires (HTML article, in French, published on NOUVELOBS.com, also available in English.)
- Feb 19, 2007
Exploran Auroras Boreales (An article published in the Brazilian newspaper Reforma, in Spanish.)
- Feb 16, 2007
Friday lift-off for aurora probe (HTML article, published on BBC News, also PDF (14kB) format if HTML is not available.)
- Feb 15, 2007
French Space Agency's THEMIS page (Link to Centre national d’études spatiales, CNES website, also available in French)
- Jan 31, 2007
THEMIS, 5 satellites pour comprendre l'origine des aurores boréales et australes (French only; published on Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)
- Jan 31, 2007
German participation in THEMIS (German only - PDF format 111KB)
- Jan 30, 2007
Austrian participation in THEMIS (Link to Institut Fur Weltraumforschung website, also available in German)
- Jan 25, 2007
Five New Satellites With a Mission of Finding a Source of Color in Space (HTML article, published in The New York Times, also PDF format if HTML is unavailable.)
- Jan 23, 2007
French participation in THEMIS (HTML article, in English, published on Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; also available in French, PDF)
- Jan 22, 2007
Satellite swarm to study aurora's triggers (HTML article, published in New Scientist Space, also PDF (82kB) format if HTML is not available.)
- Jan 18, 2007
Space mission aims to unravel mysteries of Northern Lights (HTML article, published on Yahoo News, also PDF (18kB) format if HTML is not available.)
- Jan 18, 2007
NASA Primes Five Satellites for Stormy Hunt (HTML article, published on Space.com, also PDF (29kB) format if HTML is not available.)
- Jan 18, 2007
THEMIS Mission to Provide New Understanding of Substorm Life Cycle (HTML article, published on NASA website, also PDF (11kB) format if HTML is not available.)
- Jan 17, 2007
Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report (HTML article, published on NASA website, also PDF (8kB) format if HTML is not available.)
- Jan 12, 2007
THEMIS Fact Sheet - 2006 (PDF Format - 428KB)
THEMIS Arrives in Florida for Launch Preparations (HTML article, published on NASA website, also PDF (15kB) format if HTML is not available.)
- Dec 11, 2006
THEMIS probes relocate to Florida for Feb. 15 launch
(HTML article, published on berkeley.edu)
- Dec 11, 2006
Revised THEMIS Lithograph - September 2006 (PDF Format - 358KB)
Capturing The Light Fantastic
(HTML article, published on Legion Magazine, also PDF format if HTML is not available.)
- July 28, 2006
Article 7 (German)
PDF Format)
- July 28, 2006
Article 6 (German)
(PDF Format)
- July 28, 2006
Article 5 (German)
(PDF Format)
- July 28, 2006
Article 4 (German)
(PDF Format)
- July 28, 2006
Article 3 (German)
(PDF Format)
- July 28, 2006
Article 2 (German)
(PDF Format)
- July 28, 2006
Article 1 (German)
(PDF Format)
- July 28, 2006
All five THEMIS Satellites are Getting Ready for Launch (German)
(PDF Format, published in Austrian Space Academy)
- July 24, 2006
THEMIS Satellites are Getting Ready to Search the Origins of the Auroras (German)
(PDF Format, published in Austrian Press Agency)
- July 24, 2006
BMCC Receives NASA/THEMIS Magnetometer
(JPG Image, article, orginally published in BMCC Newsletter - 2193KB)
- November, 2005
SCHS student take part in NASA study of Northern Lights
(PDF Format, published in Shawano Leader)
- October, 2005
Great Minds Never Stop Learning
(HTML article, published on nevadaappeal.com)
- June, 2005
A Boom in Satellite Engineering
(HTML article, published on Forefront)
- Spring 2005
Auroral Inquest
(HTML article, published on cangeo.ca)
- March, 2005
Spying Saturn's Light Show
(PDF Format, orginally published in Science News- 693KB)
- February, 2005
What is THEMIS? - March 2003 (PDF Format - 591KB)
