Melanie Windridge's Blog, page 6
June 14, 2017
Who was Kristian Birkeland?
Kristian Birkeland (1867-1917) was a Norwegian scientist and inventor, perhaps best known in Norway as the inventor of a process to produce fertilizer, but known to the rest of the world for his insight into the aurora borealis. Birkeland came up with what we now consider to be the first plausible explanation of what causes the northern lights – though we now know that there is much more to the process then Birkeland suggested. You can read more about the science in my Aurora Info pages.
The...
June 2, 2017
Xtreme Everest & high altitude physiology
Caldwell Xtreme Everest team approaching the summit. Photo courtesy of Xtreme Everest.
Last week, 23rd May 2017, was the 10th anniversary of the Cauldwell Xtreme Everest expedition, a research project coordinated by the UCL Centre for Altitude, Space and Extreme environment medicine (CASE) that placed a medical research team on the summit of Mount Everest in 2007.
On summit day, the group made the first ever measurement of the level of oxygen in human blood at 8400m, on the balcony of Everes...
June 1, 2017
Southern lights spectacular
Aurora australis above the city of Dunedin, New Zealand.
A coronal mass ejection caused good geomagnetic storms at the weekend, with particularly good sightings of the southern lights in New Zealand and Tasmania. Ian Griffin from Dunedin, New Zealand, shares some of his pictures of the aurora australis.
“These are images and timelapses I shot here in Dunedin on Sunday night during the Kp7 auroral event. Down here in New Zealand we are heading into winter, with the sun setting at around 5pm. W...
May 16, 2017
Auroral substorms & Alaska
Aurora: In Search of the Northern Lights came out in the USA this week, so here is an extract from the book about auroral substorms – the aurora pattern that was first noticed by a researcher from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
Aurora appears over the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Courtesy of Taro Nakai.
Being up in
May 3, 2017
Is a magnetic field reversal imminent?
Recently I read an article by the World Economic Forum entitled, What to expect when the Earth’s magnetic field goes into reverse.
It’s interesting because the aurora is caused by the interaction of the solar wind with the Earth’s magnetic field (see Aurora Info if you need a quick summary), so if the magnetic field changes the aurora will change too. But how? And firstly, when might this happen?
There are two different theories – one that says a reversal is imminent and one that says not. Bu...
April 18, 2017
5 reasons you need to see the aurora
You’ve read about it, you’ve seen the pictures, it’s somewhere on your bucket list…. Well, here are 5 reasons why you really should go to see the aurora.
1. It’s one of Earth’s most spectacular natural phenomena.It’s one of the seven natural wonders. National Geographic photographer Stephen Alvarez is capturing the Seven Natural Wonders of the World with Microsoft Lumia, and the picture below is taken on a lumia! See Stephen’s journal and gallery for more.
Northern lights photograph taken w...
April 5, 2017
Aurora wins Rutherford Communication Prize
I’m delighted to announce that I have won another award for Aurora: In Search of the Northern Lights.
On Wednesday 5th April 2017, at the IOP Plasma Physics Conference in Oxford, I was presented with the Rutherford Plasma Physics Communication Prize, sponsored by STFC Central Laser Facility.
Melanie Windridge is awarded the Rutherford Plasma Physics Communication Prize by Ceri Brenner.
“The award recognises those who exemplify excellence in outreach to the general public through the communi...
March 22, 2017
My best aurora… so far!
I recently returned from a trip to Canada with the Cloud Appreciation Society where I saw, and photographed, some beautiful aurora. It was a wonderful trip where we all shared magical experiences and made new friends.
A night of active aurora at Blachford Lake Lodge, near Yellowknife, Canada.
There were two groups in this Cloud Appreciation Society trip, so I was lucky enough to do it all twice. I was there as the aurora expert, alongside the founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society, Gavin...
March 7, 2017
Sounds of the northern lights
Northern lights, Tromsø, by Martin Izzard
This story by Martin Izzard got me thinking about the sounds of the aurora again – a mystery that is not completely solved.
“Well there I was out in the middle of nowhere north of Tromso, waiting to see the “Dancing Ladies” and taking in the Arctic atmosphere, in particular the beautiful quiet. Yes, the silence was loud! After a good wait she appeared and the sky lit up, BUT then the silence was broken by a slight wooshing noise, which spooked me as I...
February 21, 2017
Aurora wins ASLI Choice Award
ASLI award for Aurora: In Search of the Northern Lights
A month ago my book Aurora: In Search of the Northern Lights won the Atmospheric Science Librarians International (ASLI) Choice Award in the “popular” category for 2016.
Recipients of the three different awards with ASLI representatives (my friend Andy is in the middle with my award).
The award was presented at the 20th Atmospheric Science Librarians International Conference, part of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Annual Meeti...
