The AuroraWatch UK team are all members of the Space and Planetary Physics (SPP) group at Lancaster University’s Department of Physics. Listed below are the core AuroraWatch UK team, however, many other members of the SPP group contribute to the project when time allows! All team members volunteer their time to AuroraWatch UK and do not receive direct funding for the work they do on it.
Professor Jim Wild
Professor Jim Wild
Professor Jim Wild the Head of the Space and Planetary Physics group and is a scientist studying the space environment and the links between the Sun, the Earth and other planets.
Jim studied for a degree in Physics with Space Science and Technology before completing a doctorate in solar-terrestrial physics at the University of Leicester. He is now the Professor of Space Physics at Lancaster University’s Department of Physics.
Professor Farideh Honary
Professor Farideh Honary
Professor Honary’s current research interests include: i) investigating the complex behaviour of energetic particles during magnetic storms and substorms with ground- and space-based instruments; ii) utilising the ionosphere as a natural plasma laboratory to study a variety of important non-linear plasma processes associated with the interaction of high power HF waves and the ionospheric plasma. This is done by employing the EISCAT high power HF transmitter; and iii) investigation of the effect of dusty plasma on spacecraft charging.
Dr. Steve Marple
Dr. Steve Marple
Dr. Marple’s research interests include the application of technology for scientific research. For example, he has designed an inexpensive battery-powered magnetometer for auroral alerts and citizen science. This magnetometer is being used for AuroraWatch UK.
Dr. Nathan Case
Dr. Nathan Case
Dr. Case studies the dynamics of the Earth’s magnetosphere, a magnetic “bubble” created by the interaction between the Earth’s magnetic field and the solar wind. He is specifically interested in how the interlinked solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere system evolves over time. He is also interested in how citizen science can help further auroral science and has previously been involved with the Aurorasaurus citizen science project.
Dan Billett
Dan Billett
Dan is a Ph.D. student in the Space and Planetary Physics group and is studying the effects of Joule heating in the Earth’s ionosphere. Dan is in his first year of studies at Lancaster and was keen to be involved with AuroraWatch UK and its outreach activities.