Auroral Activity on May 19/20, 1996

Event Overview

The period of interest spans from about 17:30 UT on May 19 (day 140) to about 03:00 UT on May 20 (day 141). After a period of very quiet aurora on the northern hemisphere, an auroral brightening (17:30 UT) near the midnight sector spread slowly out into a narrow auroral oval. This was preceeded by a southward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field. A second southward turning was followed by significant auroral activity (20:25 UT). Towards the end of the period another, even larger activity period started (00:35 UT). During this entire time the entire aurora borealis was in bright sunlight.

Overview of Available Data

During the 9 hour period between 17:30 UT on May 19 and 02:30 UT on May 20, 1996, the UVI imager on POLAR observed strong auroral activity. During this time, the WIND satellite was about 100 RE upstream in the solar wind, Interball-Tail was about 25 RE upstream, GEOTAIL was at about X=-7 RE crossing from the sheath into the magnetosphere, and IMP-8 was X=-20 RE inside the magnetotail. DMSP and NOAA-TIROS particle data from low altitude (800 km) are also available. Ground based observations were taken by the Sondestrom IS Radar for the last few hours of this period. SuperDARN has data for the entire period. Magnetometer data are available from CANOPUS and other other chains. No ground based optical observations could be made, since the entire northern auroral zone is in bright daylight.

Available Data

Published Papers

Studies in progress

MAMI ISTP
The "official" GGS Event page for the 19/20 May

Other GGS events of interest may be found in
the Catalog of GGS Events

Last updated: 23 January 1997

Questions? Comments? Or would you like to add to this study?
Please send E-mail to Dirk Lummerzheim lumm@gi.alaska.edu or Kile Baker baker@jhuapl.edu