Enigma Of The Skies: Unveiling The Secrets Of Auroras

Enigma of the Skies is a joint endeavor by a scientist and a photographer to present to readers everything there is to know about auroras in an easy-to-understand matter. It explains the phenomena and describes how to predict when auroras occur using simple physics alongside a collection of beautiful photos taken both from Earth and from space.

Yohsuke Kamide is Professor Emeritus of Nagoya University and Director of the Rikubetsu Space and Earth Museum. He obtained his PhD from the University of Tokyo, majoring in space science, particularly in solar-terrestrial physics. Prof Kamide has also previously held research and teaching positions in Hokkaido University, University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, University of Alaska, and University of Colorado, in addition to positions in USA's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), and National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), Space Environment Laboratory (SEL).Prof Kamide has published ~350 scientific papers and ~30 books, the most prominent one being the Handbook of the Solar Terrestrial Environment (Springer). He was Vice President of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of IUGG 2003 in Sapporo, and was responsible for inviting the Japanese Emperor and Empress. He has also served as editor of the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics for 11 years, and is one of the three co-founders of the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS).Prof Kamide is a fellow of Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), UK and Japan Geoscience Union (JGU), and has been given awards by RAS, including its prestigious Price Medal, and the American Geophysical Union (AGU). He has also been awarded the Hasegawa-Nagata Medal, and AOGS's Axford Medal. To honor his scientific contributions, the Kamide Lecture was instituted at AOGS.Yoshi Otsuka graduated from Nakanoshima Art School and worked as a graphic designer in Japan. He has been an aurora guide and photographer in Yellowknife, Canada since 2001.