NASA | The Mystery of the Aurora

With spring right around the corner it is the season for auroras. The beautiful and mysterious auroras are spectacular to watch, but they are actually a manifestation of violent space weather. This weather can create big problems here on Earth by disrupting power grids, satellites, air travel and even GPS signals. While auroras have fascinated observers for centuries, little had been known about their origin. But NASA is aiming to resolve this mystery with a new mission called THEMIS.