Moira Doyle - Aurora Moodle Book

The Aurora Moodle Book is a resource we have created for our University Certificate of Achievement (curso de extension universitaria, in spanish) which was first opened last semester.

The course is an introduction to Meteorology directed to an audience with no university background but with a passion for meteorology. In this sense this resource, as the rest of the course, is a first approach to this beautiful spectacle that can be observed in the atmosphere in some regions of the world. Through this resource students walk through the main characteristics of Auroras, what causes them, their relation with solar activity, regions of occurrence, frequencies with which they can be observed in different regions of the planet, the mechanism that creates their different colors. Through different videos and animations they are able to observe what solar activity looks like, like the explosions at the sun´s surface and how the energetic particles coming from the Sun enter the Earth's magnetic field and interact with different gases in the upper atmosphere.

Space weather is one of the novel fields which is gaining importance in the meteorological spheres. As an introduction to this area the book leads them to NOAA´s space weather prediction center where there is a short-term forecast of the location and intensity of the aurora. After this visit students complete a brief activity identifying regions where there is a probability of Aurora for the day they have visited the website. Auroras are mostly observed in the northern hemisphere, aurora borealis, however they me be also seen in the southern hemisphere, so the book ends with some beautiful aurora australis photos and animations.

Here you have access to the spanish version of Aurora Moodle Book

Can you see Auroras where you live? Is NOAA forecasting one in your area? What is your teaching or student experience on Aurora or Space Weather?

Feel free to share your comments and experience in the Forum. See you there!