Mittelman Astronomy Lecture Series: Balloons on Ice: Studying the Aurora in Antarctica

Auroral displays, or “Northern Lights” as they are called in this hemisphere, actually occur in both hemispheres.  Dr. Bering will share some of his experiences from his 6 trips to the Ice to study the aurora australis or “Southern Lights.” Auroras are a complex set of phenomena that are observable over a broad range of wavelengths from X-rays to radio waves.  Since auroras are localized, short lived phenomena, it is frequently easier to study them using ground-based observatories, balloons, and sounding rockets. Stratospheric balloon payloads float at altitudes of 30 km (20 miles) or higher.  They have been used for auroral observation since 1961, when a team from the University of Minnesota first observed X-ray emissions from an active aurora.  This talk will describe a balloon launching expedition to McMurdo Station in 2003.  The science will be presented in overview form.  Most of the talk will emphasize the experience of going to Antarctica, and conducting a balloon launch in this extreme environment.
Edgar Bering P’13 is Professor of Physics and Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Houston.  His research interests include many areas of space physics, including auroras and a wide variety of atmospheric phenomena.  His research is supported by extensive involvement with sounding rockets, balloon operations, and NASA’s Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket development program.
Please register for this free webinar at http://go.middlebury.edu/astrotalk/