Abstract
The Mid-latitude All-sky-imaging Network for Geophysical Observations
(MANGO) employs a combination of two powerful optical techniques used to
observe the dynamics of Earth’s upper atmosphere: wide-field imaging and
high-resolution spectral interferometry. Both techniques observe the
naturally occurring airglow emissions produced in the upper atmosphere
at 630.0- and 557.7-nm wavelengths. Instruments are deployed to sites
across the continental United States, providing the capability to make
measurements spanning mid to sub-auroral latitudes. The current
instrument suite in MANGO has five all-sky imagers observing the
630.0-nm emission (integrated between ~250-400 km
altitude), four all-sky imagers observing the 557.7-nm emission
(integrated between ~97-100 km altitude), and three
Fabry-Perot interferometers measuring neutral winds and temperature
using both these wavelengths. The deployment of additional imagers is
planned. The network makes unprecedented observations of the nighttime
thermosphere-ionosphere dynamics with the expanded field-of-view
provided by the distributed network of instruments. This paper describes
the network, the instruments, the data products, and first results from
this effort.