netic fields that direct and accelerate the particles through space. Weather in space around the earths magnetosphere results from an interaction between the earth's magnetic field and solar wind. II. (IMAGE)The IMAGE - "Imager for Magnetosphere-to Aurora-Global-Exploration"- space- craft, was launched in 2000 and carry's several sophisticated instruments that are used to observe the previously invisible areas of the inner magnetosphere. IMAGE will also investigate the mystery of the earth's plasma sphere. The plasma sphere is a torus of cold dense plasma that surrounds the earth in the inner magnetosphere. "The plasma sphere has some well-guarded secrets," said Dr. Donald Carpenter of Stanford University. "We hope that some of these fine instruments of IMAGE will reveal them." The IMAGE spacecraft has on-board an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) imager that detects solar EUV photons that are scattered in the plasma sphere. By using this (EUV) researchers will be able to study the global structure as well as dynamics of the plasma sphere and plasma pause. The body of the IMAGE spacecraft is only 2.25 meters wide but the antennas make IMAGE one of the biggest sensors ever flown in space.III. Geometric Storms Geomagnetic storms are classified into two different types: recurrent and non-recurrent. Recurrent storms occur from major disturbances in the magnetosphere when the interplanetary magnetic field turns southward and remains southward for a substantial period of time. Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) is a part of the Sun's magnetic field that travels into interplanetary space by the solar wind. These storms are called recurrent storms because they occur every 27 days in accordance with the Sun's rotation period. Recurrent storms are most prominent during the declining phase of the suns cycle. Non-recurrent storms occur for the most part during the solar maximum time of the sun cycle. The main phase of a geomagnetic sto...
