ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program

The high-frequency active auroral research program, or HAARP for short, is something that scientists built to study the sky and the earth. It's like a big, complicated machine made of antennas and other parts that can send and receive signals. Think of it like a giant walkie-talkie that talks to the sky.

Scientists use HAARP to learn more about the aurora borealis, which you might know as the Northern Lights. This is a really pretty light show that happens in the sky at night. You might have seen pictures of it before. But scientists want to learn more about why it happens and what it can tell us about the Earth's atmosphere.

HAARP can make signals that go up into the sky and then bounce back down to Earth. This helps scientists study things like auroras, the ionosphere (which is a layer of the Earth's atmosphere), and even how radio signals travel.

Even though HAARP is really big and complicated, it's not something you can go see. It's actually located in a very remote area of Alaska, where scientists can study things without any interference from other radio signals. So next time you see a picture of the Northern Lights, think about how scientists are using HAARP to learn more about them!