Artificial aurora (Score 1)

The aurora generated by the HAARP project was not the first artificial aurora produced by beaming radio waves into the ionosphere from the ground. The first one I'm aware of was in 1970 in Colorado. It was generated by the same processes, although it was not bright enough to be visible by eye. (Journal of Geophysical Research, v77, p6202, 1972). The article also mentions the possibility of using this effect for street lighting. My notes indicate that V.A. Bailey applied for a patent on that process in 1936 (Australian patent application 4982/36 and British patent application 32950/37).