 Dec, 2005: The flight magnetometer booms were successfully installed on the first spacecraft (officially called probe 2). Here you can see an image of engineer Greg Dalton next to the extended magnetometer booms. Magnetometers are instruments that measure magnetic fields and they need to be placed far from the spacecraft because the electrical currents to operate the experiments create a magnetic field. This spacecraft magnetic field can disrupt the magnetometer measurements of Earth's magnetosphere if it is too close to the instrument.
Nov 28, 2005: The first spacecraft bus, i.e. the body of the spacecraft, has arrived at the University of California, Berkeley from Swales! The instruments will be integrated with the spacecraft bus and then tested further compatibility issues.
Oct 31 , 2005: The Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California in Berkeley had a halloween party. To the left are the finalists in the costume contest. Daniele Meihan, our coordinator of the GEONS teachers, came as Themis. Can you find her in the photograph?
Oct 25-30 , 2005: Don Dearborn installed magnetometers in the final two states this week: Derby, VT and Loysburg, PA! The data can now be found on the GEONS data page.
Oct 10-14, 2005: Don Dearborn installed magnetometers in three states this week: Shawano, WI, Remus, MI, and Fort Yates, ND! The data can now be found on the GEONS data page. See the Shawano, WI newspaper article about the installation in Wisconsin in the Articles about THEMIS section below.
July 18, 2005: Thank you note to THEMIS PI and Scientists from U.S. Consulate General, Vancouver Canada:
Drs. Angelopoulos, Mende, Russell and Donovan,
On behalf of the U.S. mission in Canada, I would like to thank all of you for participating in today's digital video conference on the THEMIS Project. Your presentations were fascinating, insightful and well-received. We have already heard from program participants in Whitehorse, Yellowknife, and Iqualuit that they thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the program. Many expressed a keen interest in learning more as the project proceeds, and some might be contacting you soon to suggest new sites for ground observatories. In addition, educators in our groups discussed ways they can incorporate the study of the aurora borealis into their science curriculum, drawing from your websites. We greatly appreciate your help in making this happen.
This was an experiment for us as we connected via videolink for the first time with Canada's North. We have some minor glitches to work out, but I think that overall, things went very well. Thanks for your patience through the whole process. Thank you also for working with us to share your excellent example of Canadian-U.S. cooperation with residents of the North.
Best Regards,
Ian T. Hillman
Public Affairs Officer
U.S. Consulate General Vancouver.
Vancouver, B.C. V6E 2M6
June 21-22, 2005: The first Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) teacher professional development site was started in Carson City, NV, funded by the THEMIS Education and Public Outreach. Over 60
teachers from around the state of Nevada gathered to learn different ways of teaching math and science with hands-on activities. Each lesson is associated with a GEMS teacher's guide. Each participant was able to select
five to ten teacher guides of their choice. Gail Bushey, a teacher in Carson City, is leading the GEMS site and will keep it going for years to come.
 June 19, 2005: Western Nevada Community College Jack Davis Observatory, Carson City, NV houses the THEMIS GEONS magnetometers and hosted the 2nd THEMIS GEONS Ambassadors Workshop. The Workshop Group around the sensor, pointing to it: L to R: First row: Parent (NV), Peticolas (CA), Craig (CA), Odenwald (MD); Second Row: Shutkin (CA), Esch (WI), Barber (OR), Wyllie (VT), Angelopoulos (CA): Third Row: Dickinson (MI), Collier (NV), Gehman (SD), De Wolfe (MI), Estill (MT), Bean (NV), Trautman (AK). Visit the image archive for more photos.
January 17, 2005: The electric fields instrument will be located on a long pole (boom) once the THEMIS satellites are in space. This boom starts as a coil of metal and springs out once the satellite is in space orbiting Earth. It is important to test how this coiled metal springs out to its 10 feet (3 meter) length in very cold and very hot temperatures that the satellite and instrument will encounter in space. See movies of the recent test in very hot temperatures and an explanation of the test by space physicist, Dr. John Bonnell.
| News
About the Sun and Auroras |
The Sun is less active and heading toward "Solar Minimum". But there are still occasional Coronal Mass Ejections that head for Earth. Find
out more, including their effects on Earth at SEGway's
Sun and Space Weather News page.
Physics of the Sun at CSTA
27 Oct 05 - Palm Springs, CA: Learn more about the Sun and how to bring solar science to the classroom. Time & place: 1-2 PM in the Convention Center, Room Mesquite C
Exploring Magnetism at CSTA
28 Oct 05 - Palm Springs, CA: Learn more about magnetism in space science and how to bring it to the classroom. Time & place: 12-1 PM in the Convention Center, Room Mesquite C
Reason for the Seasons at CSTA
29 Oct 05 - Palm Springs, CA: Learn more about misconceptions about the reasons for the seasons while modeling classroom lessons. Time and place: 9:30-10:30 AM in the Wyndham Hotel, Room Ventura
Physics of the Aurora at CSTA
29 Oct 05 - Palm Springs, CA: Learn more about aurora (Northern and Southern Lights) while modeling classroom lessons. Time & place: 11 AM -12 PM in the Wyndham Hotel, Room Andreas |
 SCHS student take part in NASA study of Northern Lights
(PDF Format, published in Shawano Leader)
- October, 2005
|
 Scientists probe northern lights from all angles
(HTML article, published on cbc.ca)
- October, 2005
|
Scientists gear up to probe mysteries of northern lights
(HTML article, published on cbc.ca)
- July, 2005 |
Great Minds Never Stop Learning
(HTML article, published on nevadaappeal.com)
- June, 2005 |
A Boom in Satellite Engineering
(HTML article, published on Forefront)
- Spring 2005 |
Auroral Inquest
(HTML article, published on cangeo.ca)
- March, 2005 |
Spying Saturn's Light Show
(PDF Format, orginally published in Science News- 693KB)
- February, 2005 |
What is THEMIS?
(PDF Format- 591KB)
- March, 2003 |
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| The key
states that are directly involved in the THEMIS
E/PO Plan. States colored in purple are those that
will compete to house THEMIS E/PO magnetometers.
States in red will also be part of the formal education
aspect of the E/PO plan with Nevada and Illinois
housing GEONS magnetometers. SACNAS teacher professional
development planning will occur with partners in
the states colored in green. (Click
for a larger image) |
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The
THEMIS Education and Public Outreach Mission has found schools
in ten states (colored in purple in the figure to the right plus Nevada and Vermont) to
house magnetometers for the THEMIS mission. Each of these schools has a science teacher who will take part in the THEMIS mission by sharing THEMIS physics with their students.
| The Northern Lights Planetarium Show |
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When THEMIS satellites are taking data and scientists better
understand auroral eruptions, the new discoveries about the
aurora will be incorporated into the planetarium show, "The
Northern Lights." Contact your local planetarium if
you would like to see this show.
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