黑极光是指正常亮极光之间的暗带,虽然影像经常会记录到这种暗带,却很少有人对它的成因提出疑问。最近,科学家利用四个位于地球轨道上名为“星团”(Cluster)的卫星提供的数据进行研究,解开了黑极光之谜。正常的极光是电子或带负电的粒子,沿着地球磁场冲向地球大气,撞击大气分子,使它们电离而发光。黑极光,则是地球电离层中带负电的粒子,从地球磁场线的间隙被吸出去所产生的现象。黑极光延伸的高度可达二万公里, Black aurora refers to the dark zone between normal bright auroras, and although images often record such dark zones, few question the cause of it. Recently, scientists used data provided by four satellites named “Cluster” on Earth’s orbit to unlock the mystery of black aurora. Normal auroras are electronically or negatively charged particles that strike the earth’s atmosphere along the earth’s magnetic field and impact atmospheric molecules, causing them to ionize and glow. Black aurora is the phenomenon of negatively charged particles in the Earth’s ionosphere that are sucked out of the gap of the Earth’s magnetic field lines. Black aurora extension of up to 20,000 kilometers,