The public will have opportunity to learn about how scientists study the Earth’s ionosphere, the region between Earth’s lower atmosphere and the vacuum of space, at an Aug. 27, 2022, open house at the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program. The facility, widely known simply as HAARP, is in Gakona, Alaska.

This event will provide an opportunity for members of the public to see this world-class research facility firsthand and to learn about the science questions the facility seeks to answer. HAARP attracts scientists from universities, government and the private sector.

A 90-minute self-guided, timed-entry tour will highlight the following:

• HAARP’s control room
• Science and history displays
• Power plant, with the five generators used during research
• Transmitters and the 33-acre antenna array
• Aircraft surveillance radar
• Ionosonde, a radar that checks the status of the ionosphere
• Riometer, which measures cosmic radio noise
• Optical equipment domes

The University of Alaska Fairbanks acquired HAARP’s research equipment from the Air Force in August 2015 under an education partnership agreement. The UAF Geophysical Institute operates HAARP under a cooperative research and development agreement.

In 2021, the National Science Foundation awarded the Geophysical Institute a five-year $9.3 million grant for a new research observatory at HAARP. The Subauroral Geophysical Observatory for Space Physics and Radio Science will explore Earth’s upper atmosphere and geospace environment.

Space for the open house is limited. To obtain a free ticket, find the ticketing page on HAARP’s website.

The open house runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27. Download the event flyer. A promotional video for the open house is available online.

The health and safety of visitors, staff and volunteers is the HAARP staff’s highest priority. To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, HAARP visitors are required to mask indoors at all times and outdoors when a distance of 6 feet cannot be maintained.

Parking is limited. Vehicles are restricted to a maximum length of 36 feet, maximum width of 9 feet and maximum height of 10 feet.

HAARP is located in Gakona at mile 11.3 Tok Cutoff, 26 miles northeast of Glennallen. It is 200 miles from Anchorage and 230 miles from Fairbanks.

Source: Geophysical Institute

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