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Source: The post is based on the article “Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE):How a NASA experiment will study ‘air glow’ to understand Space weather” published in “Indian Express” on 21st November 2023
Why in the News?
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched the Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE).
What is the Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE)?
| Specifications | Details |
| Launched by | NASA |
| Aim | To study atmospheric gravity waves to understand how they transport energy into Earth’s upper atmosphere and affect space weather |
| Planned under | NASA’s Heliophysics Explorers Program |
| Placed on | The experiment will be placed on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS). |
| Key Features | The experiment will measure airglow at the mesopause (85 to 87 km above Earth). For this, it will use an Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (ATMT) to scan the mesopause, mapping the brightness of light at specific wavelengths. |
| Significance | This study is important due to the increasing reliance on satellite-based services for navigation and communication. Hence, understanding space weather is crucial for these services to work well. |
What is Space Weather?
- Space weather refers to the environmental conditions and disturbances in space that can affect Earth and its technological systems.
2) These space weather phenomena include solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar energetic particle events.
3) When these events occur, they can cause disturbances in the Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere and thermosphere. This can impact satellite operations, communication systems, power grids and even pose risks to astronauts and high-altitude aircraft.
4) Apart from influences from the Sun-bound emissions, space weather also comes under the impact of terrestrial weather.
What are Atmospheric Gravity Waves (AGW)?
1) Atmospheric Gravity Waves (AGW) are generated when there is an extreme weather event or a sudden disturbance leading to a vertical displacement of stable air.
2) Natural phenomena like thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, regional orography and others have the potential to create AGWs in the lower levels of the atmosphere.
3) A stable atmosphere is key for generating gravity waves. When stable air gets pushed up and down due to temperature differences, it creates wave patterns.
4) These waves can even reach space and affect space weather. Understanding them better helps us know their impact on weather, climate.
What is Airglow?
1) Airglow is a faint emission of light that occurs high in Earth’s atmosphere.
2) It is caused by various processes in the upper atmosphere of Earth such as the recombination of atoms which were photoionized by the Sun during the day, luminescence caused by cosmic rays striking the upper atmosphere among others.
3) It is not noticeable during the daytime due to the glare and scattering of sunlight.
What is the difference between Airglow and Auroras?
1) Though they appear at similar altitudes, aurora and airglow are produced by different physical processes.
– Airglow is formed due to emission of light from chemical interactions between oxygen, nitrogen, and other molecules in the upper atmosphere.
– Auroras, on the other hand, stem from interactions between solar energy and Earth’s magnetic field.
2) Unlike auroras, airglow occurs all around the Earth, all the time.
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