The northern lights or otherwise known as the aurora borealis, is a multi-coloured brilliant light show that can paint the sky with surreal colour.
The creation of the lights start with the sun and the activity it produces. The sun is constantly throwing particles out into space. These particles, often referred to as solar wind, is thrown toward the earth. This wind produced by the sun is a super hot stream of plasma made up of electrons and protons. As the violent wind approaches the earth, much of it is shielded off by the protection cover of the earth's magnetic field. As it hits the earth, the magnetic field guides the plasma towards the northern and southern poles where the particles can enter. As the solar particles enter the earth's atmosphere, they slam into the gas particles in the air. As they collide with each other, they create a glowing effect of different colours. As these lights are created by the solar wind thrown from the sun, they create oval rings around the northern magnetic pole.
In addition to the lights being various colours, they also appear to flow, form different shapes and dance in the sky. This is because the collisions between the atoms and the charged particles are constantly shifting along the magnetic currents of the earth's atmosphere and the reactions of these collisions follow the current.
Today scientists can predict the northern lights which can be shown in a similar way to a weather forecast. Winter is usually the best time to view them because there a re long periods of clear nights. One of the best places to view them is Denali National Park in Alaska.
The creation of the lights start with the sun and the activity it produces. The sun is constantly throwing particles out into space. These particles, often referred to as solar wind, is thrown toward the earth. This wind produced by the sun is a super hot stream of plasma made up of electrons and protons. As the violent wind approaches the earth, much of it is shielded off by the protection cover of the earth's magnetic field. As it hits the earth, the magnetic field guides the plasma towards the northern and southern poles where the particles can enter. As the solar particles enter the earth's atmosphere, they slam into the gas particles in the air. As they collide with each other, they create a glowing effect of different colours. As these lights are created by the solar wind thrown from the sun, they create oval rings around the northern magnetic pole.
In addition to the lights being various colours, they also appear to flow, form different shapes and dance in the sky. This is because the collisions between the atoms and the charged particles are constantly shifting along the magnetic currents of the earth's atmosphere and the reactions of these collisions follow the current.
Today scientists can predict the northern lights which can be shown in a similar way to a weather forecast. Winter is usually the best time to view them because there a re long periods of clear nights. One of the best places to view them is Denali National Park in Alaska.
The Northern Lights, Alaska
