Jasmine: I'm Jasmine.
Chrissy: ...and I'm Chrissy.
Jasmine: We're from NIU STEAM and...
Chrissy: This is the Sound of Science on WNIJ.
Jasmine: Today, our question comes from Tony out in Oswego. He would like to know if one day a.i., or artificial intelligence, could be used to better predict when and where the Aurora Borealis might be visible on Earth. Great question Tony!
Chrissy: Our sun is a very active and complex ball of superheated gasses. Processes and chemical reactions occurring in its outer layers and solar atmosphere will cause explosive emissions of energy, magnetic, or charged particles to be blasted out into space.
Jasmine: Auroras occur when charged particles from the Sun interact with the Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field. The Sun is continuously releasing protons and electrons in streams called solar winds. Most of these charged particles are deflected by the magnetic field that surrounds Earth, but some of the particles get by, especially at the North and South Poles.
Chrissy: As these particles pass through Earth's atmosphere, they collide with and transfer their energy to gas molecules like oxygen and nitrogen. This transfer of energy will cause light to be produced and the color will vary depending on what elements make up the gas molecules. These colors will produce the ribbons of light we see dancing across the sky and are called Aurora Borealis in the North and Aurora Australis in the South.
Jasmine: It is very likely that one day a.i. could be used to predict where and when the auroras may be seen. Using large amounts of real time data collected by satellites, observatories, and weather instruments patterns in solar activity could be monitored and predicted. Lightning speed simulations could be run to identify where atmospheric conditions are ideal for the auroras to be best observed. It's important to remember, though, that like the weather here on Earth, there is a level of uncertainty that will
always remain.
Chissy: You've been listening to WNIJ, where you learn something new every day.
