THEMIS Sees Magnetic Reconnection

  • Released Thursday, July 24, 2008
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THEMIS observations confirm for the first time that magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail triggers the onset of substorms. Substorms are the sudden violent eruptions of space weather that release solar energy trapped in the Earth's magnetic field.

THEMIS reconnection animation


Print resolution stills of reconnection event.

Print resolution stills of reconnection event.

Print resolution still of auroral event.

Print resolution still of auroral event.

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab

This page was originally published on Thursday, July 24, 2008.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:55 PM EDT.

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