PDA

View Full Version : Capturing an Aurora


Arctic Fox
May2-04, 03:39 PM
Could there be a way to capture the energies that create an aurora using an electromagnetic field? It seems as if the particles travel down the Earth's magnetic field like a funnel - which then ionizes the atmosphere.

What if there was no atmosphere to react with? Where would the energies go, and is there a way to 'capture' and store the electrical potential?

pallidin
May2-04, 04:19 PM
One can "capture" energy from most any phenomenon, be it strong winds, rushing water, lightning, etc...
The question is whether it is economically feasible to do it. In other words, does the cost of extraction justify the end result?
In cases of reasonably consistant phenomena it is looked at and considered; for temporary phenomena the answer is almost always no.