Herlingshaw, Katie;
Partamies, Noora;
van Hazendonk, Charlotte M;
Syrjäsuo, Mikko;
Baddeley, Lisa J;
Johnsen, Magnar G;
Eriksen, Nina K;
... Whiter, Daniel; + view all
(2025)
Science highlights from the Kjell Henriksen Observatory on Svalbard.
Arctic Science
, 11
pp. 1-25.
10.1139/as-2024-0009.
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Abstract
The Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO) is the world’s largest optical observatory for auroral and airglow measurements, operated by the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS). KHO is a unique site that lies underneath the dayside cusp, a funnel-shaped region where particles from the Sun can directly enter the Earth’s upper atmosphere, including the ionosphere. Building on the pioneering observations of its predecessor—the Auroral Station in Adventdalen, Svalbard—KHO has played a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of phenomena in the polar atmosphere. The Auroral Station and KHO have amassed climatological measurements over Svalbard for an impressive 40-year period. KHO’s diverse instrumentation, combined with other co-located optical and radar infrastructure, and in situ measurements from satellites and sounding rockets, has paved the way for impactful multi-instrument studies. Serving as an accessible testbed for instrument development, new types of instruments have recently been installed, both at KHO and on satellites. Beyond its scientific contributions, KHO has become an integral part of the Longyearbyen community, with students, visitors, and locals participating in tours and educational initiatives. This connection underscores KHO’s multi-functional role, not only as a centre for excellent research but also as a vital hub for public outreach and engagement.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Science highlights from the Kjell Henriksen Observatory on Svalbard |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1139/as-2024-0009 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2024-0009 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2025 The Author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Physics and Astronomy |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10204596 |
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