The HAARP research campaign will create an artificial glow in the sky of Alaska on November 11

Residents of Alaska and visitors to the state will have a unique opportunity to observe an artificial glow in the sky created as part of the high-frequency active auroral Research (HAARP) program.

This exciting research campaign, which will begin on November 11, will be conducted by a group of scientists from prestigious institutions such as the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, Cornell University, the University of Colorado at Denver, the University of Florida and the Georgia Institute of Technology. The experiments will focus on the ionosphere, a region of the atmosphere located at an altitude of 30 to 350 miles above the Earth's surface.



One of the main objectives of this research campaign is to study the ionospheric mechanisms that cause optical emission. Scientists are particularly interested in studying how some plasma waves can amplify other very low-frequency waves. In addition, they will study how satellites can use plasma waves in the ionosphere to detect and prevent collisions.

The HAARP ionosphere research instrument, consisting of a phased array of 180 high-frequency antennas located on an area of 33 acres, will play a crucial role in creating artificial air glow. By exciting electrons in the Earth's ionosphere using high-frequency radio transmissions, similar to how solar energy creates natural auroras, HAARP can generate pulses of air glow. The installation is capable of radiating 3.6 megawatts of power into the upper atmosphere and ionosphere.



The aerial glow created by HAARP will be visible up to 300 miles away from the installation in Gacon (Alaska). It may look like a faint red or green spot on the sky, and due to the peculiarities of the human eye, it is better visible when viewed from the side. The angle of visibility for observers will depend on the distance to HAARP.



In order to observe the glow, it is necessary to be at a certain distance from HAARP, as evidenced by the approximate elevation angle, depending on the distance provided by the installation. The signal transmission frequencies used by HAARP will vary from 2.8 to 10 megahertz, and the actual days and time of signal transmission will depend on real-time ionospheric and/or geomagnetic conditions.



The US National Science Foundation recently awarded a grant of $9.3 million to the UAF Geophysical Institute. to create a Subauroral Geophysical Observatory at HAARP. The purpose of this observatory is to study the upper atmosphere of the Earth and the geocosmic environment. The grant made it possible to support various research campaigns, including an upcoming experiment to study the glow of the air. In addition, thanks to a grant from HAARP, a Summer School on polar Aeronomy and Radio Engineering was held, in which more than 50 researchers took part in August.



HAARP, originally developed and owned by the Air Force, handed over its research instruments to the UAF in 2015. In accordance with the agreement with the Air Force, the UAF now manages the facility and continues to expand the boundaries of ionospheric research.