Why NASA Is Firing Rockets At The Northern Lights

NASA and Utah State University have aimed their tiny probes at the aurora.

In the middle of the night on January 28, a team of NASA and university scientists found themselves doing something a bit different: firing rockets at the aurora borealis, better known as the "Northern Lights." The rocket launch fired six disposable probes into a Northern Lights display in Alaska, with the goal of learning more about the heating and expansion of Earth's thermosphere during the aurora. Because auroras are closely related to phenomenon known as "solar storms" that can impact the behavior of satellites and electrical systems on Earth, information gained from the project will directly benefit the space agency.

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