Page 45 - Curriculum Visions Dynamic Book

A part of the Earth’s atmosphere in which the number of ions (electrically charged
particles) is enough to affect how radio waves move.
magnetosphere A region in the upper atmosphere, or around a planet, where magnetic phenomena such as auroras are found.
protons Positively charged particles from the core of an atom.
solar flare Any sudden explosion from the surface of the Sun that sends ultraviolet radiation into the chromosphere. It also sends out some particles that reach Earth and disrupt radio communications.
Auroras
The plasma in the Sun’s heliosphere (the solar wind) can leak into the magnetosphere of the Earth. Charged particles thus come down toward the Earth. This causes great turbulence in the magnetosphere, dumping charged particles into the ionosphere below it.
The charged particles from the solar wind are carried downward toward the magnetic poles. As they move through the upper atmosphere, they collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms. The collisions knock electrons away from the atoms. That changes them into charged ions, which then radiate red or greenish-blue light.
When that happens, beautiful displays of charged particles—like natural fluorescent-coloured drapes—can be seen. They are called auroras. They are most commonly seen in northern locations such
as Anchorage, Alaska, and Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada. However, during periods of intense solar activity auroras can reach down from the poles to the midlatitudes and have occasionally been seen as far south as 40°N.
When a major solar flare produces bursts of proton and electron particles, they can also change the Earth’s magnetic field, disrupting radio communications and even affecting the long-distance transmission of high-voltage electricity.
ionosphere
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