 Kristian
Birkeland
(1867-1917)
The
Norwegian scientist Kristian
Birkeland pioneered the first serious
scientific study of the aurora.
He was first to suggest (in
1896) that the northern lights
were a result of the interaction
between particles emanating
from the Sun and Earth’s
magnetic field. He organized
several expeditions to the
far north of Norway and set
up observing stations there
to collect data on the aurora
and Earth’s magnetic
field. In his laboratory,
he was able to recreate the
aurora by bombarding a magnetized
metal ball (which represented
Earth) with electrons (representing
the solar wind).
 Confirmation
of his theories had to wait
for the advent of the Space
Age and satellites that could
explore Earth’s magnetosphere.
In 1973, a polar satellite
detected electric currents
that flow along the magnetic
field from Earth’s
magnetotail region,  through
the upper atmosphere and
back into space. They were
named “Birkeland currents” after
the scientist who had suggested
their existence decades earlier.
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