This is where the visible aurora can be seen. FAST has found that there are some regions where electrons move up away from the Earth. This is where the inverse aurora occur. Inverse aurora cannot be seen. What is interesting to scientists in this region is its connection to the visible aurora and the fact that positively charged particles are heated.
Auroral displays are quite eerie and beautiful.
From the ground, an aurora can appear as discrete or diffuse bands or areas of light. Viewed from space, however, the aurora rings the Earth with a fiery crown. The FAST satellite is one of many tools that scientists are using to investigate the aurora and plasma processes occurring in the region where aurora producing particles are accelerated. This photograph is aligned with data taken from the FAST satellite. Superimposed on the visual aurora is a projected path of the FAST satellite which simultaneously collected electron measurements in space above the visible aurora.