All-sky camera (ASC) beneath its protective dome at the Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR), Alaska, USA. The northern location of the PFRR allows this ASC to be used for auroral research. The ASC is used to follow the variation in auroral activity through the night. Aurorae are atmospheric light displays (visible at night in the polar regions) that result from solar activity. PFRR is primarily a launch facility for sounding (non-orbiting) rockets. Other equipment used at PFRR to research the Arctic atmosphere includes meteorological balloons and polar-orbiting satellites. PFRR is operated by the University of Alaska's Geophysical Institute and funded by NASA.