Three NASA research rockets could paint the sky with colorful vapor trails tonight
Mesopause is the coldest layer of the planet’s atmosphere, with temperatures that can dive almost less than 148 degrees Fahrenheit, according to NASA.
Scientists are looking forward to knowing more about this dynamic part of the atmosphere, because it is known to be a “mixture field where the weather conditions of the lower atmosphere transfer energy upwards in space, supplying turbulence that can increase the trail on the satellites.”
Its location, however, is too high for meteorological balloons reaching and too low to study using satellites. Sound rockets, on the other hand, can be launched at specific altitudes to capture data and observations.
The first two Tomex + rockets will be launched for about a minute one and will publish steam trails, called steam tracers. A third rocket equipped with a laser will then send light pulses that will help researchers follow the twists and turns of steam tracers, allowing them to follow the movements in the upper atmosphere as energy moves through it.
The steam tracers generally contain barium, lithium and an aluminum compound – similar to the materials used to make colorful fireworks – according to NASA. Small amounts of gas are not considered harmful to people or any other life in the field, said the agency.
The previous attempts to launch the Rockets Tomex + were canceled because of Hurricane Erin, which overthrew the Atlantic Ocean last week and created a high seas in the NASA rocket recovery area.
