NASA Discovers Mysterious X-Shaped Plasma in Earth’s Ionosphere

SCIENCE

By Aniket Chakraborty June 7, 2025 Arrow

These plasma Xs appeared during calm solar conditions—defying decades of scientific thought.

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Scientists had only ever seen such shapes during geomagnetic storms caused by solar activity.

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But now, GOLD’s ultraviolet camera spotted them even when the Sun was quiet.

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The plasma lanes, usually parallel, were seen merging and twisting into Xs unexpectedly.

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NASA simulations show winds and atmospheric waves could be causing these nighttime distortions.

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It turns out—weather patterns on Earth might reach high enough to warp our upper atmosphere.

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These short-lived Xs can disrupt satellite communication, GPS signals, and precision systems.

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Scientists warn current space weather models may be too solar-focused to predict such events.

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The discovery challenges our understanding of Earth’s skies—and what lies just above.

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