The Create an Aurora interactive station forms part of the newly renovated Sun–Earth Connections Exhibit at the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab, allowing guests to experience the powerful forces of our closest star.

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The Sun is alive with scorching plasma, tangled magnetic fields, and explosive events that ripple across space and reach all the way to Earth. At this interactive station, you can create your own solar storms by spinning trackballs to twist the Sun’s magnetic field. As the energy builds, watch as:

• Sunspots appear on the Sun’s surface

• Solar flares burst into space

• Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) erupt during the largest storms

 

Each storm is tracked with energy level indicators (green, yellow, red), showing whether you’ve triggered a small, medium, or massive solar storm. Once the energy is released, you’ll see the solar wind rush toward Earth and discover how these storms create dazzling auroras in our skies. 

 

This exhibit was developed in collaboration with an incredible team of scientists, designers, and fabricators. Together, we’ve brought the dynamic relationship between the Sun and Earth to life in a way that everyone can explore.

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Electronics and Software Package: 

Creative Machines

Cabinet and graphics not completed by Creative Machines

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Collaboration with:

NSF NCAR & UCAR

High Altitude Observatory

Condit Exhibits

FableVision Studios

Tactile Images

Peak Nova Solutions

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Installed:

NSF NCAR Mesa Lab Visitor Center, Boulder, CO​