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APRIL 24, 2009

Magnetic attractions

Pixar The Northern Lights Solar Flaresvenn diagram

 

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VIDEO
“Magnetic Movie”


Created by two artists-in-residence at NASA’s Space Science Laboratories, “Magnetic Movie” takes a stunning, spooky look at the magnetic fields and solar winds that surround us.

The short (just-under-five-minute) film is narrated by NASA scientists; the artists used computer-imaging software to synch the magnetic waves up to the vibrato in their voices. You’ll see strange energy loops that seep through walls, levitating “hairballs” of electrical energy, and invisible force fields — all of them rendered in bright neon colors. The effects are unexpectedly beautiful, not least because they’re all around us but totally invisible to the naked eye. You’ll never look at a compass the same way again.

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