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Re: [OM] Northern lights

Subject: Re: [OM] Northern lights
From: "Stephen F. Schaffner" <sschaff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 07 Sep 1998 14:30:18 -0700 (PDT)
[Sorry for the late reply, but I've been out of town.]

Morgan Sparks wrote:

> How fast do the particles travel from the sun?  

Typical speed for solar wind particles is 500 km/sec, if memory 
serves.  I don't know how much that changes when the particles become 
trapped by the Earth's magnetic field.

> I suppose the
> "flickering" of the northern lights does not reflect their actual speed,
> but the effect created as waves of particles intersect with elements in
> the atmosphere.....much like the points of intersection in merging
> circles.  

Yes, I think so.  I suspect what you're seeing is shifts in the 
magnetic field lines (along which the particles are travelling.)

> Still, depending on one's viewing location and direction of
> the bombardment, aren't there situations where you can see nearly the
> actual speed of particle travel?
> 
> My interest in speed was sparked by the thought that there may be no
> other phenomenon where such rapid travel of anything is displayed to
> humans.

I doubt it.  Individual particles produce very little light -- too little 
to track them from a distance.  

Steve Schaffner
sschaff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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