Oh, Roar a Roar for THEMIS

For they have seen Aurora Borealis burning bright

| Published Feb 6, 2009 9:06 PM EST

Science

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, shines above Bear Lake here Jan. 18. The lights are the result of solar particles colliding with gases in Earth's atmosphere. Early Eskimos and Indians believed different legends about the Northern Lights, such as they were the souls of animals dancing in the sky or the souls of fallen enemies trying to rise again. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Strang). SrA Joshua Strang

Five satellites are helping scientists understand what causes the Northern Lights. It involves a flux rope, which sounds like it should be the cable that’ll help launch the space elevator.

Also in today’s links: stolen feces, sacred stones, LaserPup, and more.

Anything up there you’re curious about? Public voting is open to decide what the Hubble Telescope should point at next.
Don’t you hate it when people steal your shit? Especially your scientifically significant feces? (We can call this a minor trend in Britain once we get a third instance.)
In what may be the ultimate synergy of lasers, puppies, and the Internet, a man has built a ceiling-mounted, laser-powered, Internet-controlled device to entertain his dog.
A stone found buried with an Egyptian child mummy supports the idea that Egyptians believed colors held “sacred energy.” Imagine what they’d have made of an Aurora.