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= ABOUT THE TEAM = toc **Charleston Middle School Core A** Welcome to our wiki. We are members of the 8th Grade Gold Team Core A science class at Charleston Middle School in Charleston, IL. Our school enrollment is approximately 420 students divided into four teams - two 7th grade teams and two 8th grade teams. Charleston is located about 200 miles south of Chicago in the rural heartland of Central Illinois. The community is proud of its Lincoln heritage, being the 1840's home of Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln, father and stepmother of our 16th president and also the location of one of the famous Lincoln - Douglas debates. Charleston is a campus community - home to Eastern Illinois University. Our teacher is Mr. Tim McCollum.

=** STEPS IN THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE **=

=** ﻿Step 1 - Preliminary Question **= Photo Credit - Astronomy Picture of the Day


 * Preliminary Question - Are there color differences between the Northern Lights and Southern Lights when viewed from space, and have they changed over time?**

=** Step 2 - Initial Observations **=

na = not available
 * Image ID || Latitude || Longitude || Name of Feature || Country || Date Acquired || Focal Length || Observations ||
 * [|ISS006-E-47517] || -44.6 || 152.4 || Aurora || na || 20030420 || 28mm || A green and red aurora ||
 * [|ISS006-E-21591] || 51.7 || -123.6 || Aurora || na || 20030202 || 58mm || A green and pink aurora ||
 * [|ISS023-E-58455] || 51.23 || 93.3 || Aurora Australis || Africa || 20100529 || 0mm || A curvy green line ||
 * [|ISS003-E-6816] || na || na || Aurora || Africa || 20010914 || 35mm || A red and pink aurora ||
 * [|ISS006-E-51691] || na || na || Aurora Earth Limb || Africa || 20032 || 0mm || A very lime green thin strip with brownish ||
 * [|ISS006-E-48424] || -50.4 || 46.9 || Aurora Australis || na || 20030424 || 58mm || Lots of green colors swirling around . ||
 * [|ISS006-E-28961] || -51.0 || 79.7 || Aurora || na || 20030216 || 58mm || Blue and green ||
 * [|ISS006-E-47516] || -44.6 || 152.4 || Aurora || na || 20030420 || 28 mm || Green and Red ||

=** Step 3 - Background Research **=


 * Name of Website || Internet Address || Brief Summary ||
 * Northern Lights-Aurora Borealis || [] || It tells the best time to watch the aurora ||
 * Wikipedia - Aurora || http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_(astronomy) || It tells how Auroras came to be. What they are and how they are made. ||
 * Astronomy Picture of the Day || [] || It was the Aurora during a meteor shower. ||
 * Causes of Colors Auroras || [] || Detailed summary of the how different colors of auroras are gennerated ||
 * The Aurora:Information and Images || [] || It tells the forcasts, the best time to watch the aurora, and that aurora makes no sound ||
 * SpaceWeather.com || [] || It tells us when the first auroras of October are coming News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras and near ||
 * Northern lights becoming rarer, researchers warn || @http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8030884/Northern-Lights-becoming-rarer-researchers-warn.html || It tells us that the aurora cycles ||
 * NASA || [] || I talks about Auroras and the scientific resons they appear. ||
 * Northern Lights - Aurora Borealis || [] || Has a lot of articles about the northern lights ||
 * Aurora australis-Weather in Antartica- Antartic Connection || [] || explains in detail about the southern lights ||
 * Aurora**

After studying the auroras, which were named after the Roman Goddess of dawn-Aurora, we have learned many things. The auroras have a specific color after which type of gas they encountered. We have learned that auroras are made at the openings of the Earth's magnetosphere at the north and south poles with protons, electrons, and solar wind mixing with gases to create certain colors. They usually appear as arcs, clouds, or streaks in the sky. The auroras can best be seen in the months of October, February, March, April, and December when the lights are at their longest and the sky is dark enough to see the lights. Auroras usually appear 20 degrees away from the poles, and they are seen approximately 25 times a year. They are made of solar wind collisions.

= Step 4 - Experiment Design =


 * Refined question - Are there color differences between the Northern Lights and Southern Lights when viewed from space, and have they changed over time?**
 * We will use the [|Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth] as our primary source of image data.
 * Any other sources of information and data will come from related web sites.
 * We will target the regions near the upper northern and upper souther latitudes for images, since these are the regions in which the aurora can be seen.
 * We will seek a minimum of 40 images for our research.
 * Among the specific pieces of data that we will log from each image will be: image I.D., date, colors, focal length, whether the image is of the Aurora Borealis or Aurora Australis, and general observations.

One question we have is if advances in photographic technology might impact the more recently taken astronaut photographs vs those taken by astronauts many years ago.

We have divided into several groups with each group being responsible for five pages of images using the technical search tool on the [|Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth]web site.


 * Hypothesis - There are no measurable differences observed between colors seen in the Northern Lights and Southern Lights when viewed from space and when compared over time.**

=** Step 5 - Collect and Compile Data **=


 * Image I.D. || Date || Borealis/Australis || Focal Length || Colors || General Observations ||
 * [|ISS006-E-18383] || 20030117 || Borealis || 58mm || Green || Straight bright green line ||
 * [|ISS024-E-14688] || 20100914 || Australis || 50mm || Green || Wavy,cury line ||
 * [|ISS017-E-18184] || 20080921 || Borealis || 180mm || Green || Thin green line ||
 * [|ISS019-E-21635] || 20090527 || Australis || 120mm || Orange and green || It has alot of orange and a little green ||
 * [|ISS019-E-21629] || 20090527 || Australis || 200mm || Green with reddish orange || Green line with reddish orange mixed in ||
 * [|ISS006-E-47354] || 20030419 || Australis || 28mm || A greenish shade and a little bit of red || Upside down green and red ||
 * [|STS039-342-5] || 1991_ || Australis || 35mm || Pink, White, Green || A shining Aurora ||
 * [|ISS007-E-6003] || 20020306 || Australis || 50mm || Green || It has the National Space Station ||
 * [|ISS006-E-49081] || 20030422 || Australis || 28mm || Green || The sun is up in this picture ||
 * [|ISS006-E-49079] || 20030422 || Australis || 28mm || Green || Looks like a river ||
 * [|ISS006-E-46938] || 20030420 || Australis || 28mm || Green and Brown || Looks like a foggy swamp ||
 * [|ISS006-E-47478] || 20030420 || Australis || 28mm || Green, Red, and Brown || A line with a fog and a red streak ||
 * [|ISS006-E-47490] || 20030420 || Australis || 28mm || Green, Red, and Brown || A square of red and greeen and brown ||
 * [|ISS006-E-47535] || 20030420 || Australis || 28mm || Green and Blue || A green line with a blue stripe ||
 * [|STS51B-116-5] || 19850501 || Australis || 110mm || Orange, Green, White, Yellow, and Red || orange closest to Earth then green, then white, then yellow, then orange again, and finally red. ||
 * [|ISS006-E-50249] || 20020306 || Australis || 28mm || Green,White,and red || It looks weird ||
 * [|STS048-22-31] || 199109_ || Australis || 180mm || Faded green || Poof of faded green ||
 * [|ISS022-E-79211] || 20100302 || Borealis || 180mm || Lime green || Looks like a circle ||
 * [|ISS022-E-79316] || 20100302 || Borealis || 85mm || Lime green and orange || Thick lime green line with an orange rim on the side closer to Earth ||
 * [|ISS007-E-6001] || 20060302 || Borealis || 50mm || Yellow and orage || Curvy ||
 * [|ISS006-E-18360] || 20030119 || Borealis || 58mm || Green || Upside down, over Canada, has a red haze in the background ||
 * [|ISS006-E-42540] || 20030402 || Borealis || n/a || Blue Green || Blue Glow ||
 * [|ISS006-E-41615] || 20030330 || Borealis || 58mm || Red Green || Bright Green Glow ||
 * [|ISS006-E-41693] || 20030330 || Borealis || n/a || Green || Bright Colorful glow ||
 * [|ISS024-E-014687] || 20100914 || Australis || 50mm || Lime-green || Thin, swirley line ||
 * [|ISS024-E-11646] || 20100722 || Australis || n/a || Light green with little blue || Straight line ||
 * [|ISS023-E-17341] || 20100402 || Australis || 28mm || Green || Robot arm, leg, and solar panel in front of Aurora ||
 * [|ISS023-E-17370] || 20100402 || Australis || 70mm || Orange-green || Looks like its circling the Earth ||
 * [|ISS019-E-21629] || 200906527 || Australis || 200mm || Green-orange || Thick green line with a thinner orange line that passes through ||
 * [|ISS019-E-20513] || 20090524 || Australis || 70mm || Green orange || Half circle of green with orange line ||
 * [|ISS006-E-49064] || 20030422 || Australis || 28mm || Green || Green swirls ||
 * [|ISS006-E-48291] || 20030421 || Australis || 28mm || Green and brown || Lines ||
 * [|STS047-20-33] || 199209 || Australis || n/a || Green || Faded green swirls ||
 * [|STS047-20-11] || 1992 || Australis || n/a || Green || Faded green line then swirl ||
 * [|STS045-29-3] || 1992 || Australis || n/a || Green || Faded green and swirls ||
 * [|STS045-29-31-16] || 1992 || Australis || n/a || Green and blue || Blue line surrounded by green ||

=** Step 6 - Display Data **=

__ **Astronaut Photographs of the Aurora** __
The tables and graphs below represent data collected from **astronaut photographs** of the aurora. Color percentages represent the frequency of occurrence of each of the colors compared to the total number of colors observed in the images.


 * Aurora Borealis Chronological and Color Occurrence Image Table**
 * Image I.D. || Date || Red || Green || Pink || Blue || Yellow || Purple || Orange || White ||
 * [|ISS006-E-18383] || 20030117 ||  || X ||   ||   || X ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [|ISS006-E-18360] || 20030119 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   || X ||   ||
 * [|ISS006-E-41615] || 20030330 || X || X ||  ||   || X ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [|ISS006-E-41693] || 20030330 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   || X ||   ||
 * [|ISS006-E-42540] || 20030402 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   || X ||   ||
 * [|ISS007-E-6001] || 20060302 ||  || X ||   ||   || X ||   || X ||   ||
 * [|ISS017-E-18184] || 20080921 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [|ISS022-E-79316] || 20100302 ||  || X ||   ||   || X ||   || X ||   ||
 * [|ISS022-E-79211] || 20100302 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   || X ||   ||
 * Total Color Occurrence ||  || 1 || 9 || 0 || 0 || 4 || 0 || 6 ||   ||
 * Percent of Color Occurrence ||  || 5% || 45% || 0% || 0% || 20% || 0% || 30% || 0% ||
 * Percent of Color Occurrence ||  || 5% || 45% || 0% || 0% || 20% || 0% || 30% || 0% ||
 * Aurora Australis Chronological and Color Occurrence Image Table**
 * Image I.D. || Date || Red || Green || Pink || Blue || Yellow || Purple || Orange || White ||
 * [|STS51B-116-5] || 19850501 || X || X ||  ||   || X ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [|STS039-342-5] || 1991_ ||  || X || X ||   ||   ||   ||   || X ||
 * [|STS048-22-31] || 199109_ ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   || X ||
 * [|STS047-20-11] || 1992 ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   || X ||
 * [|STS045-29-3] || 1992 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [|STS045-29-31-16] || 1992 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   || X ||
 * [|STS047-20-33] || 199209 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [|ISS007-E-6003] || 20020306 ||  || X ||   ||   || X ||   || X ||   ||
 * [|ISS006-E-50249] || 20020306 || X || X ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   || X ||
 * [|ISS006-E-47354] || 20030419 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [|ISS006-E-46938] || 20030420 ||  || X ||   ||   || X ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [|ISS006-E-47478] || 20030420 || X || X ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [|ISS006-E-47535] || 20030420 ||  || X ||   ||   || X ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [|ISS006-E-47490] || 20030420 || X || X ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [|ISS006-E-48291] || 20030421 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   || X ||   ||
 * [|ISS006-E-49064] || 20030422 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * <span style="background-clip: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|ISS006-E-49079] || 20030422 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * <span style="background-clip: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|ISS006-E-49081] || 20030422 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * <span style="background-clip: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|ISS019-E-20513] || 20090524 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   || X ||   ||
 * <span style="background-clip: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|ISS019-E-21629] || 20090527 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * <span style="background-clip: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|ISS019-E-21635] || 20090527 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * <span style="background-clip: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|ISS023-E-17341] || 20100402 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * <span style="background-clip: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|ISS024-E-11646] || 20100722 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * <span style="background-clip: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|ISS024-E-14687] || 20100914 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * <span style="background-clip: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|ISS024-E-14688] || 20100914 ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Total Color Occurrence ||  || 4 || 24 || 1 || 0 || 4 || 0 || 3 || 5 ||
 * Percent of Color Occurrence ||  || 10% || 59% || 1% || 0% || 10% || 0% || 8% || 12% ||
 * Percent of Color Occurrence ||  || 10% || 59% || 1% || 0% || 10% || 0% || 8% || 12% ||

__**Ground-based Images of the Aurora**__
The graphs below represent data collected from a Google image search of multiple **ground-based** photographs of the aurora. Color percentages represent the frequency of occurrence of each of the colors compared to the total number of colors observed in the images.


 * Aurora Borealis Ground-based Images Color Percentage Graph**
 * Aurora Australis Ground-based Images Color Percentage Graph**

=** Step 7 - Analyze and Interpret Data **=

__**From SPACE**__
Aurora Australis has more colors than Borealis but this could be corrupted because we have less pictures of Borealis viewed from space. There is little to no change in the colors, or shape over time. Our data listed above shows little to no changes as the years progress. So it tells us that the gases, that make the color, haven't changed over time.

__**From EARTH**__
We are unable to determine if there are color differences over time for the Aurora's, due to the fact that we have no record of the images used by the group who made the ground-based image charts. The most major color differences were that Borealis had more yellow and white. Aurora Australis had more red. This information might be slightly corrupted due to the fact that we only included which had 5 or greater percents when compared to the other. It may also be influence by the fact that Aurora Australis had 33 ground based images and Aurora Borealis had only 28. This concludes that, from Earth, they appear only slightly different from one another.

__**BOTH**__
There could have been some misinterpretations due to the fact that some people can see more or less colors in these pictures than from the notes we used. Our research for Aurora from space was limited to what was on the Astronaut Photography website and our research for Aurora from Earth was limited to photos online. =** Step 8 - Draw Conclusions **=
 * The picture above shows what gases make the colors. As you can see, from Earth we can see more green so we see more Excited Oxygen, that we do Excited Nitrogen.

Question: Are there color differences between the Northern lights and Southern lights when viewed from space, and have they changed over time? We believe this hypothesis is true, because our research showed no visible signs of color change between the Northern and Southern Lights, from space. There are also no visible changes over time. Some questions we have are, why can you see more colors from Earth than from Space? Is this because there might be more chemicals higher up in the sky so they can be seen better from space? We would like to give a big thanks to those who have helped us along the way, thank you Mr. McCollum, and our Mentor Dr. Runco! __**Thanks For All The Help!!**__
 * Hypothesis - There are no measurable differences observed between colors seen in the Northern Lights and Southern Lights when viewed from space and when compared over time.**

=** Step 9 - Share Research **=

[|Core A EEAB Presentation.pptx]

Official NASA image request sent to ISS

GLOSSARY
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Altitude- the height of anything above a given planetary reference plane, esp. above sea level on earth.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Atmosphere - The gaseous envelope surrounding the Earth; the air <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Atoms- the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element, consisting of a nucleus containing combinations of neutrons and protons and one or more electrons bound to the nucleus by electrical attraction; the number of protons determines the identity of the element.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Aurora Australis- the aurora of the Southern Hemisphere.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Aurora Borealis- the aurora of the Northern Hemisphere.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Auroral Zones- the region surrounding the north or south geomagnetic pole in which the Auroral phenomena take place.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Corona - Is a type of plasma atmosphere of the sun or other celestial body, extending millions of kilometers into space. Most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but also observable in a coronagraph.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Coronal Mass Ejection- A very large emission of plasma from the sun that disrupts the flow of the solar wind, sometimes interfering with the operation of artificial satellites, electronic communications, and electric power transmission on the Earth.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Drapery- coverings, hangings, clothing, etc., of fabric, esp. as arranged in loose, graceful folds.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Electron- Also called negatron an elementary particle that is a fundamental constituent of matter. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Hues- variety of a color; tint

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Ions-one of the electrically charged particles formed in a gas by electric discharge or the like.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Line Spectrum- an electromagnetic spectrum consisting of discrete lines, usually characteristic of excited atoms or molecules.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Magnetic Poles- either of the two points on the earth's surface where the dipping needle of a compass stands vertical, one in the arctic, the other in the Antarctic.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Nitrogen- a colorless, odorless, gaseous element that constitutes about four-fifths of the volume of the atmosphere and is present in combined form in animal and vegetable tissues, esp. in proteins: used chiefly in the manufacture of ammonia, nitric acid, cyanide, explosives, fertilizer, dyes, as a cooling agent, etc. Symbol: N; atomic weight: 14.0067; atomic number: 7; density: 1.2506 g/l at 0°C and 760 mm pressure.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Particle- a minute portion, piece, fragment, or amount; a tiny or very small bit

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Proton - A stable, positively charged subatomic particle in the baryon family having a mass 1,836 times that of the electron

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Radiation- the process in which energy is emitted as particles or waves.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Severe Geomagnetic Storms- A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of the [|Earth]'s [|magnetosphere] caused by a disturbance in space weather

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Solar Wind - An emanation from the sun's corona consisting of a flow of charged particles, mainly electrons and protons, that interacts with the magnetic field of the Earth and other planetary bodies.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Sunspots- one of the relatively dark patches that appear periodically on the surface of the sun and affect terrestrial magnetism and certain other terrestrial phenomena.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Van Allen Belts-either of two regions of high-energy-charged particles surrounding the earth, the inner region centered at an altitude of 2000 mi. (3200 km) and the outer region at an altitude between 9000 and 12,000 mi. (14,500 and 19,000 km).

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