Ionospheric heater
An ionospheric heater is like a really big microwave oven in the sky. It sends a special type of energy called radio waves up into the Earth's atmosphere, and these waves make a part of the upper atmosphere called the ionosphere get really hot.
The ionosphere is made up of charged particles, and when it gets hot, these particles move around a lot more. Scientists use ionospheric heaters to study how the ionosphere works and how it affects things on the ground like our communication signals and navigation systems.
Think of it like cooking a big pot of soup. You turn on the heat and the soup gets hot and bubbly. The ionospheric heater is doing the same thing, but instead of soup, it's making a part of the sky really hot and bubbly.
The ionosphere is made up of charged particles, and when it gets hot, these particles move around a lot more. Scientists use ionospheric heaters to study how the ionosphere works and how it affects things on the ground like our communication signals and navigation systems.
Think of it like cooking a big pot of soup. You turn on the heat and the soup gets hot and bubbly. The ionospheric heater is doing the same thing, but instead of soup, it's making a part of the sky really hot and bubbly.