Detail Page
designer:
Tom Bridgman
published by the NASA Magnetosphere Multiscale Mission
This visualization collection from the NASA Multiscale Magnetosphere mission animates the process of magnetic reconnection, a phenomenon that happens when magnetic fields around Earth connect and explosively realign. Magnetic reconnection occurs at the boundary where Earth's magnetosphere encounters the solar wind and converts magnetic energy into kinetic and thermal energy. Magnetic reconnection is considered to be a key driver of space radiation. These visualizations show the flow of particles before, during and after magnetic reconnection. Be sure to check out the chaotic nature of the vector lines depicting strength and direction of accelerated particles.
The MMS mission was launched in 2015 and consists of four spacecraft flying in a pyramid structure to better obtain 3-dimensional data structures of magnetic field events. Editor's Note: This is cutting edge science. The first data-producing spacecraft to move through a reconnection event happened in 2016. Scientists were struck by how chaotically the magnetic field behaved during reconnection.
Next Generation Science StandardsDisciplinary Core Ideas (K-12)
Types of Interactions (PS2.B)
Relationship Between Energy and Forces (PS3.C)
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices (K-12)
Analyzing and Interpreting Data (K-12)
ComPADRE is beta testing Citation Styles!
Record Link
<a href="https://www.compadre.org/precollege/items/detail.cfm?ID=16044">NASA Magnetosphere Multiscale Mission. NASA: Data Tour of MMS and Magnetopause Reconnection. Greenbelt: NASA Magnetosphere Multiscale Mission, December 14, 2021.</a>
AIP Format
(NASA Magnetosphere Multiscale Mission, Greenbelt, 2016), WWW Document, (https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4460).
AJP/PRST-PER
NASA: Data Tour of MMS and Magnetopause Reconnection (NASA Magnetosphere Multiscale Mission, Greenbelt, 2016), <https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4460>.
APA Format
NASA: Data Tour of MMS and Magnetopause Reconnection. (2021, December 14). Retrieved April 26, 2025, from NASA Magnetosphere Multiscale Mission: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4460
Chicago Format
NASA Magnetosphere Multiscale Mission. NASA: Data Tour of MMS and Magnetopause Reconnection. Greenbelt: NASA Magnetosphere Multiscale Mission, December 14, 2021. https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4460 (accessed 26 April 2025).
MLA Format
NASA: Data Tour of MMS and Magnetopause Reconnection. Greenbelt: NASA Magnetosphere Multiscale Mission, 2016. 14 Dec. 2021. 26 Apr. 2025 <https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4460>.
BibTeX Export Format
@misc{
Title = {NASA: Data Tour of MMS and Magnetopause Reconnection},
Publisher = {NASA Magnetosphere Multiscale Mission},
Volume = {2025},
Number = {26 April 2025},
Month = {December 14, 2021},
Year = {2016}
}
Refer Export Format
%T NASA: Data Tour of MMS and Magnetopause Reconnection %D December 14, 2021 %I NASA Magnetosphere Multiscale Mission %C Greenbelt %U https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4460 %O text/html
EndNote Export Format
%0 Electronic Source %D December 14, 2021 %T NASA: Data Tour of MMS and Magnetopause Reconnection %I NASA Magnetosphere Multiscale Mission %V 2025 %N 26 April 2025 %8 December 14, 2021 %9 text/html %U https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4460 Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.
Citation Source Information
The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual. The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References. The Chicago Style presented is based on information from Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation. The MLA Style presented is based on information from the MLA FAQ. |
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