- BC literature seems to contain reference to auroras
-
1570
woodcut:
- Galileo -- aurora borealis -- dawn of the north
- Descartes -- aurora caused by sunlight reflection from ice crystals in the air at high altitude
- Late 1600s -- Edmund Halley -- auroral displays ordered by direction of magnetic field
- 1731 -- French philosopher de Mairan suspected a connection between aurora and return of sunspots
- 1741 -- O. Hiorten with Graham (London instrument maker) discovered that geomagnetic activity and aurora are connected
- 1859 -- Carrington, sketching sunspot group, startled by white light flare. 18 hours later one of largest magnetic storms and aurora in Puerto Rico
- Late 1800s -- suggestions that particles shot off from sun were guided by Earth's magnetic field to auroral zone. (Concept re-emerges even today on the web.)
- Start of modern research -- First International Polar Year 1882-3, led by Birkeland.
- Start of contemporary research -- IGY 1957-8, led by Chapman.
- Nobel prize winner -- Alfven
-
Birkeland,
Chapman, and Alfven:
- More good history available from the Poker Flat Research Range.
Web development: Theresa
Valentine
Last updated: 7/26/00
