---
title: "Scientists Solve The Mystery Of The High-Latitude Theta Aurora"
description: "Thanks to data collected by ESA’s Cluster spacecraft and a NASA mission called the Imager for Magnetopause, scientists discovered the origin of a colorful display in the night sky known as the theta aurora"
date: "2014-12-19"
modified: "2015-08-13"
authors:
  - name: "Andreea Popescu"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/andreeathecat"
url: "https://futurism.com/scientists-solve-mystery-high-latitude-theta-aurora"
categories:
  - "Off-World"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "space"
---

# Scientists Solve The Mystery Of The High-Latitude Theta Aurora

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/image_2361-Theta-aurora.jpg>)

- Auroras are the most visible manifestation of the Sun’s effect on Earth
- Normally, the main region for this impressive display is the ‘auroral oval’, which lies at around 65-70 degrees north or south of the equator, encircling the polar caps
- However, auroras can occur at even higher latitudes. One type is known as a theta aurora because seen from above it looks like the Greek letter Θ (theta)