NASA is conducting exciting experiments to make artificial clouds high in the sky! These clouds are made by releasing special chemicals like trimethyl aluminum (TMA) from rockets. They help scientists learn more about Earth’s atmosphere, which is the area surrounding our planet.
When these chemicals are released between 80 to 400 kilometers up in the air, they create glowing trails. These bright trails allow scientists to see how air moves and changes in the atmosphere. NASA says that these substances are safe for the environment and are only released in small amounts, much higher than where airplanes fly.
The main purpose of these experiments is to understand important things like how energy moves in the air, what happens between different gases, and how these things can affect space weather. This is key information for knowing how solar activity can impact satellites and technology on Earth.
NASA is also doing related research, like studying gamma rays during thunderstorms, to improve our understanding of Earth’s atmosphere. They carry out these experiments all over the world, launching special rockets from different locations suited for each study. Recently, they did some cloud experiments over Norway, but they have no plans to do any over France soon.
NASA is careful about being transparent and ensures that their experiments do not harm the environment. If they changed the natural conditions too much, it would mess up their research. While some people are worried and think these clouds might be harmful or that NASA is changing the weather, the agency is focused on understanding the mysteries above us.
