With so many satellites involved, any hands-on analysis of the data would have been impossible. The maps of electrical current show dramatic shifts due to changes in the solar wind. These results will allow scientists to accurately test computer models of Earth's space environment - more so than ever before. These hot spots create pockets of hot air that rise and create drag on spacecraft flying through them at altitudes below 300 miles. Anderson presented his findings at the 2000 Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco on Dec. 15.
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