Kristian Birkeland: the first space scientist

• Main Authors: Egeland, Alv, Burke, William J
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 2005
• Subjects: Other Fields of Physics; Northern lights
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3294-3; http://cds.cern.ch/record/1250402

At the beginning of the 20th century Kristian Birkeland (1867-1917), a Norwegian scientist of insatiable curiosity, addressed questions that had vexed European scientists for centuries. Why do the northern lights appear overhead when the Earth’s magnetic field is disturbed? How are magnetic storms c...