Dr. Neal Brown, geophysics professor emeritus at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), is a world authority on the aurora borealis, the extraordinary phenomenon that has captivated mankind for most of recorded history. The Roman writer Pliny saw the aurora as a great battle in the sky. In Nordic legend, it was believed to be flashes from the shields of the Valkyries. Aristotle called them jumping goats. Neal has been studying the phenomenon for more than 50 years. In this special lecture, he will provide an update on what has been learned to date and some mysteries yet to be solved.

Dr. Neal Brown is a scientist at the UAF’s geophysical research institute. For 18 years he was director of the Poker Flat Research Range in Alaska, the only rocket range in the world owned and operated by a university. Although now retired, he continues to do research and teach, including at the UAF’s Osher Institute, where he talks about the aurora, explorations in our solar system and the use of small drones for scientific research. He is currently in the Upper Valley visiting his daughter, Dr. Melody Brown Burkins, Associate Director of Dartmouth’s Dickey Center for International Understanding.