magnetic reconnection Archives

An artist’s depiction of four purple octagonal spacecraft flying in space. The light behind them is orange from the Sun, and in the background at right is Earth, surrounded by an overlapping series of magnetic field lines.

Magnetic “Switchback” Detected near Earth for First Time

by Sarah Stanley 8 October 20258 October 2025

Until recently, this type of zigzag shape—formed by energetic rearrangement of magnetic field lines—had been seen only near the Sun.

Four seemingly identical, octagonal, disklike structures, each with several various thin antennas extending outward at various angles, appear to be floating in a closely spaced cluster in space. In the background, on the right side of the image, is the round shape of the planet Earth, encircled by translucent, overlapping blue and purple lines.

Research Spotlights

New Insights into an Enigmatic Form of Magnetic Reconnection

by Sarah Stanley 11 April 202511 April 2025

A new study deepens understanding of magnetic field behavior recently discovered by NASA in Earth’s magnetosphere.

Editors' Highlights

Fast Flows in Earth’s Magnetotail Surveyed by NASA Satellites

by Mary Hudson 9 April 20253 April 2025

A survey of high-speed electron flow observed by NASA satellites in the Earth’s magnetotail is presented and related to the process of magnetic field line reconnection and particle acceleration.

Yellow partial sphere on a black background. Within the sphere are streaks of brighter yellow and a large black region.

News

Magnetic Tangles Drive Solar Wind

by Matthew R. Francis 20 July 202320 July 2023

Energetic collisions between magnetic fields produce gusty solar wind.

Computer-generated visualization of solar plasma interacting with Earth’s magnetic field.

Features

Space Raindrops Splashing on Earth’s Magnetic Umbrella

by Laura Vuorinen, Adrian LaMoury, Emmanuel Masongsong and Heli Hietala 7 October 202218 July 2023

Though not as damaging as extreme space weather events, showers of plasma jets hit Earth’s magnetic shield every day—yet we’re only beginning to understand their effects.

Artist rendering of magnetic reconnection taking place in the Earth's magnetosphere

Editors' Vox

Hidden Atmospheric Particles Sculpt Near-Earth Space Environment

by S. Toledo, M. André, N. Aunai, C.R. Chappell, J. Dargent, S.A. Fuselier, A. Glocer, D.B. Graham, S. Haaland, M. Hesse, L.M. Kistler, B. Lavraud, W. Li, T. E. Moore, P. Tenfjord and S.K. Vines 22 September 202118 July 2023

Charged particles escape our atmosphere following Earth’s magnetic field and constitute a main source of matter that modulates Sun-Earth interactions.

The location of Jupiter’s northern aurorae, as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope

Research Spotlights

Could Low-Altitude Reconnection Power Jupiter’s Polar Aurorae?

by Morgan Rehnberg 21 September 202118 July 2023

Magnetic reconnection events less than 2 Jovian radii above the planet’s cloud tops could explain why Juno has yet to observe a source for Jupiter’s polar aurore.

Science Updates

The Space Weather Modeling Framework Goes Open Access

by T. Pulkkinen, T. I. Gombosi, A. J. Ridley, G. Toth and S. Zou 13 May 202118 July 2023

A versatile suite of computational models, already used to forecast magnetic storms and potential power grid and telecommunications disruptions, is preparing to welcome a larger group of users.