Building a low budget planeterella for auroral outreach incorporating physics student co-creation principles

ABSTRACT A planeterella (an auroral simulator) has been built at Nottingham Trent University within the cost of a student postgraduate Masters project budget (£100). This instrument is currently only the third working planeterella in the UK, and while not as sophisticated as it’s two older cousins, it still demonstrates the space physics principles at the same time as providing an educational and inspirational benefit. The final equipment has proved successful in engaging students, stakeholders, and the public with ‘seeing’ magnetic fields and auroral processes. The build requirements and method are provided to allow other higher education institutions to be able to create their own planeterella as scientific demonstrations and student projects; only requiring small budgets and common equipment borrowed from physics teaching and research laboratories.