Auroras and Eclipses
What’s the Big Deal?
This year (2024), we in Western New York were very fortunate to witness a couple of impressive natural events: a total solar eclipse in April and a spectacular auroral display in May. What do these events have in common and why should we care about them? This talk, by Dr. Jim Spann from NOAA, explores the connection between these two phenomena, why we should understand and study them, and how they impact society.
Dr. James F. (Jim) Spann, Jr., is the Senior Scientist for Space Weather at NOAA’s NESDIS Office of Space Weather Observations (SWO). Prior to joining NOAA in 2023, he worked at NASA for 37 years, serving as the Space Weather Lead for the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters. He developed and launched several auroral UV remote sensing instruments, managed the Marshall Space Flight Center’s (MSFC) science research organization (encompassing Astrophysics, Planetary Science, Heliophysics, and Earth Science), and served as the MSFC Chief Scientist. A laboratory physicist by training, he earned his BS in mathematics and physics from Ouachita Baptist University (cum laude, 1979) and his PhD in physics from the University of Arkansas (1985). He is the author or co-author of more than 70 peer-reviewed journal articles primarily in space physics. He was the Principal Investigator of an international 6U CubeSat mission with the Brazilian space agency called SPORT, which investigates conditions in Earth’s ionosphere.
Dr. Spann states: “My interest in the mysteries of space and how its dynamic nature affects society stems from my innate curiosity about how nature works. As a trained laboratory scientist, I have experience ranging from examining individual hair thickness-sized aerosols to building cameras that image the aurora from space. My interest in understanding the impacts of space weather on our planet couples curiosity-driven observations with the desire to make this information useful to society.”
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