Published
aurora
vr.tr.aurora · thing-aurora
Let an agent handle auroras by physics, forecasts, viewing locations, photography and safety for travellers.
Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.FLW
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Forecast Will it appear.
Activity
Kp and alerts.
Activity
Geomagnetic activity.
- What do official space weather forecasts predict for tonight? provenance
- What Kp level is needed at this latitude? measurement
Weather
Clouds.
Weather
Cloud cover.
- Will the sky be clear enough? provenance
- Which weather service forecasts cloud? provenance
Viewing Where and when.
Location
Dark sites.
Location
Viewing location.
- Where are dark, safe places to view nearby? provenance
- Which direction should viewers face? definition
Safety
Cold and roads.
Safety
Viewer safety.
- What cold-weather and road safety precautions apply? action
- Is the site on public land? boundary
Photography Capturing it.
Settings
Exposure.
Settings
Camera settings.
- What exposure settings suit aurora photography? action
- Is a tripod needed? action
Colours
Eye versus camera.
Colours
Colour perception.
- Why do cameras show brighter colours than the eye? definition
- Is the image processed? boundary
Science Physics.
Mechanism
Particles and fields.
Mechanism
Mechanism.
- How do solar particles produce auroral light? definition
- Which atoms give which colours? definition
Culture
Traditions.
Culture
Cultural meaning.
- What meanings do different cultures attribute to auroras? provenance
- Are they attributed to their communities? boundary
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- noun.phenomenon
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.FLW
- Facets: substance
- energy
- Facets: origin
- natural
- Facets: agency
- inert
- Facets: mobility
- not-applicable
- Facets: scale
- not-applicable
- Facets: affordances
- observable
- Other names and narrower kinds
- aurora australis, southern lights, aurora borealis, northern lights
What it is Filled
A natural light display in the sky, mainly at high latitudes, caused by charged particles from the Sun following the Earth magnetic field and exciting atoms in the upper atmosphere; called aurora borealis (northern lights) and aurora australis (southern lights).
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent handle auroras by physics, forecasts, viewing locations, photography and safety for travellers.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Caused by solar particles
- Strongest near auroral ovals
- Varies with geomagnetic activity
- Visible farther from poles during storms
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Direct people to unsafe roadsides, ice or private land to see an aurora.
- Present aurora forecasts as certain.
- Misrepresent the cultural meanings that Arctic peoples hold for the aurora.
Only with a human decision
- Guiding groups into remote areas at night in winter.
May
- Report aurora forecasts and geomagnetic activity from space weather services.
- Help observers find dark, safe viewing places.
Moral aspects Filled
- Aurora tourism can put visitors at risk and burden remote communities.
- For some Arctic peoples the aurora carries spiritual meaning that deserves respect.
Who is affected
- Observers and tourists
- Arctic and northern communities
Owners Filled
Steward
Nobody owns it; space weather services forecast it.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- oewn-11445694-n - registry parent class
related
- atmospheric phenomenon - category
- solar wind and geomagnetic storms - cause
- space weather services - forecast
- ionosphere - layer
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.aurora
- Open English WordNet: oewn-11447355-n
- Kp index: 0-9 scale geomagnetic activity
Direct properties required Filled
- Emission altitude: Approximately 100-400 km - Many visible auroral emissions occur within this altitude band above Earth's surface, although some occur outside it.
- Emission wavelength: nm - A spectrometer measures emission wavelengths associated with excited atmospheric atoms and molecules.
- Optical radiance: W m^-2 sr^-1 - A calibrated optical instrument measures radiance over a stated wavelength band and viewing direction.
Recognition required Filled
- Green (oxygen) and red emissions
- Arcs, curtains and coronas
- Airglow and light pollution are different
- Green, red or purple curtains, arcs and rays of light moving across the night sky.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- check official aurora and space weather forecasts
- find good viewing places and times
- photograph auroras
- explain the physics
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Cold exposure and driving risks at night
- Overpromising sightings from forecasts
- Trespass or unsafe roadside stopping
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Dark sky protection rules in some areas
Context of use required Filled
- A natural phenomenon for science, tourism and culture.
- aurora borealis
- aurora australis
- STEVE (related phenomenon)
- auroras on other planets
Sources Filled
- Open English WordNet 2024, synset oewn-11447355-n - sense and gloss of the concept
- Wiktionary: aurora - word senses and usage
Open questions
- Should northern and southern auroras be separate entries?
- How should space weather feeds be linked?
- How should planetary auroras be linked?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-aurora/spec.json