ITM Physics Laboratory
 

Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC)

Exploring the Heart of Space Weather with the Geospace Dynamics Constellation

Doug Rowland | The Geospace Dynamics Constellation, or GDC, will provide the first direct global measurements of Earth’s atmospheric interface to space — a region where beauty and hazards co-exist - where space weather disturbances impact communication and navigation signals, satellite orbits, and induced currents that can trigger power outages on Earth. GDC’s unprecedented multi-point observations in the heart of this interface region will provide a generational shift in perspective on this region, allowing scientists to understand this complex, interconnected system as a whole. NASA Science Theater at AGU 2020!

The GDC Mission constellation concept

Find out more at the GDC Website

GDC Mission webpage. Within the region connecting our home to space, we see how weather from above and below impact our ability to live and work.

Placeholder Image

The Latest GDC Fact Sheet

The latest version fo the 2 page fact sheet is on our ITM resource page and other GDC specific resources are at the mission website .

Placeholder Image

Planned GDC Ephemeris

GDC planned ephemeris data now available for download at the mission website. Start planning now for how you will interact with GDC!

Upcoming Events

Monday, January 27, 2025
12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Magnetosphere Online Seminar Series
The Magnetosphere Online Seminar Series is a weekly seminar held every Monday at 1200 Eastern Time unless otherwise stated. The Seminar Series is a set of overview talks marching through the magnetosphere, interspersed with software, mission, instrument tutorials, and Early Career talks.

The seminars will continue every Monday at 12 noon eastern. If you are interested in giving a seminar please contact us.

A link to join the seminar via Zoom or YouTube can be found on our home page (https://msolss.github.io/MagSeminars/).

Add your name to the mailing list here - https://msolss.github.io/MagSeminars/mail-list.html

And see previous talks here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNlOK9mCmI3V111EHQRCuEQ
Read more about this event
Monday, January 27, 2025
01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Virtual Chat with the Code 600 Director
Everyone is Welcome!
ACTUAL TIME: 1:10–1:55 p.m.
Read more about this event
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
01:00 PM - 04:00 PM
SED New Year's Poster Party
The Poster Party brings together scientist from all divisions to display their posters from 2024 and early 2025 meetings.
Read more about this event
 

Featured Videos

A Solar Wind Sea Shanty

Parodying the classic sea shanty "The Wellerman," “The Solar Wind: A Heliophysics Sea Shanty” illuminates one of the primary connections between the Sun and Earth, the solar wind. This video can be shared and downloaded at YouTube .

Welcome to the Ionosphere!

This little-explored region exists between space and Earth. It is home to the aurora, the international space station, a variety of satellites, and radio communication waves. Join us as we venture to this interface to space! This video can be downloaded from the Scientific Visualization Studio

Chasing Lightning: Spritacular

Follow along and watch this wonderful introduction to our newest citizen science group, Spritacular, as they learn more about all kinds of lightning, from elves, sprits, to transient luminous events. Get involved at Spritacular.org

Discovering Earth’s Third Global Energy Field

For nearly 60 years, scientists have studied the "polar wind," a stream of particles escaping Earth's poles into space, theorizing that a weak, unmeasured ambipolar electric field drives the outflow, a theory finally supported by recent findings. Learn more here: https://go.nasa.gov/3XcDDLD

 

Citizen Science

Placeholder Image

You, too, can get involved with NASA Science

Science is for everyone and we want you to get involved! Check out all the amazing ways at the Goddard Citizen Science website!

Placeholder Image

Spritacular

Join the chase of lightning from the ground, engage with a global community of observers, and contribute your observations for NASA Science at Spritacular!

Placeholder Image

Aurorasaurus

Want to learn more about the aurora and help scientist understand these dancing lights? Join up with others at Aurorasaurus and even get emails when the aurora might be in your area!

Placeholder Image

Radio JOVE

Space is filled with radio waves! Help scientists learn more about where all these waves come from and how they are used to tell us more about our place in the universe at Radio JOVE.

Local News

 

The chapter "Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances" was published in the "Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sc...

Wednesday, January 22, 2025
 

The paper "Resolving the Generation Mechanisms and Electrodynamical Effects of Medium Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbanc...

Wednesday, January 22, 2025
 

Wonseok (Andrew) Lee (CUA/675), In-Sun Song (Yonsei University), Ja Soon Shim (USRA/674), Guiping Liu (675), and Geonhwa Jee ...

Monday, January 06, 2025
 

We have a new paper out with our colleagues! Murphy, K. (Northumbria University) , Halford, A. J. (675), Liu, V. (John Hopki...

Monday, January 06, 2025
 

Aurorasaurus and Spritacular citizen scientists are featured in the 2025 NASA Science Calendar (https://science.nasa.gov/mult...

Wednesday, January 01, 2025
 
 

Earth Observatory Picture

Windy City of Lights