X-Ray Earth
Explanation:
Above is a picture of the
Earth in x-rays,
taken in March of 1996 from the orbiting
Polar satellite.
Most of the planet is dark with superposed continent and coordinate grids,
while the bright
x-ray emission near the north pole
is shown in red.
Why does the Earth have an x-ray glow?
Actually, the Earth itself does not,
but the aurora high in
the Earth's atmosphere do glow with x-rays
detectable by space-based instruments.
Gusts of
energetic ions
from the Sun can distort the
Earth's magnetosphere
allowing high energy electrons spiraling along magnetic field
lines to slam into the upper atmosphere above the
magnetic poles.
This activity causes
shimmering visible aurora
along with x-ray, ultraviolet, and
radio emission.
The x-rays are not dangerous to life on Earth because
they are absorbed by the dense, lower atmosphere.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
