The Aurora: Sun-Earth Interactions (The Ellis Horwood Library of Space Science and Space Technology. Series in Astronomy)

of the atmosphere, the author points out that several areas of human endeavour are influenced by auroral phenomena - such as ground currents induced during intense auroral storms, which have been a source of failure in electricity grid systems in Canada and Scandinavia. An appraisal of the history of aurorae, and the way in which historical examinations can provide an insight into determining past activity of the Sun, provides a background to the author's examination of how the advent of satellite exploration has brought a clearer model for the magnetic environment surrounding the Earth, and provided a clearer picture of the mechanisms behind the aurora. Practical advice on auroral observations is given, including an atlas of auroral types. ...