The Aurora Borealis Infographic

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Decoding the Mysterious Northern Lights

The colorful lights we see dancing in the night sky are caused by solar storms. These storms erupt and expel huge clouds of electrically charged particles. When these particles collide with Earth, most are deflected by our magnetic field. However, some get caught in this field and pulled towards the poles, where they slam into the atmosphere.

How Northern Lights Form

The atoms and molecules in our atmosphere collide with the particles from the sun. This causes them to heat up in a process called “excitation”, which makes them glow.

Colors of the Aurora

The vibrant colors of the aurora depend on both:

  1. Gas molecules struck by the particles
  2. Altitude of the collisions
  • Oxygen:
    • Greenish glow at lower altitudes
    • Reddish hue at higher altitudes
  • Nitrogen:
    • Blueish auroras at lower altitudes
    • Purplish auroras at higher altitudes

Auroras Beyond Earth

Astronauts can witness the aurorae from the International Space Station. Interestingly, this phenomenon isn’t unique to Earth. Auroras have been observed on other planets in our solar system, suggesting similar processes might be at play.

Aurora Australis: The Southern Counterpart

The aurora australis, or southern lights, occurs near the South Pole. Spotting them can be less common due to the smaller permanent population in the region compared to the areas near the North Pole, where the aurora borealis is more frequently observed.

Auroras Seen Further South

On May 11, 2024, strong geomagnetic storms caused the aurora borealis to be visible much further south than usual.