The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis): What is it, what causes it, and where can you see it?

The dancing lights that make up the aurora are the result of collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun entering the Earth’s atmosphere. These lights can be seen above the Earth’s north and south magnetic poles.

These lights appear in several colors. Light green and pink are the most common. But it also appears in red, yellow, green, blue, and violet. It also manifests itself in many forms, as it sometimes appears as isolated clouds of light, and sometimes takes the form of banners, arcs, and other phases appear in the form of undulating curtains, and sometimes it lights up the sky with a strange glow as a background for a picture.

aurora borealis

What causes the aurora borealis phenomenon?

The aurora lights are the result of collisions between the gaseous particles (the particles of oxygen and nitrogen) that make up the Earth’s atmosphere with the charged particles (protons and electrons) spewing out from the Sun’s atmosphere.

Color differences aredue to the type of gas particles that the charged particles collide with. The most common color: a pale yellowish-green is produced by oxygen molecules located 60 miles above Earth. While fiery red auroras are produced entirely by oxygen at high altitudes, about 200 miles away. Nitrogen molecules emit blue or red-purple twilights.

The assumption that the aurora is associated with solar activity has been around since about 1880. Now we know that the charged particles that cause aurora borealis are nothing but electrons and protons that come from the sun with the “solar wind”. Thanks to the research carried out in the 1950s, (note: 1957–1958 was an international geophysical year when the atmosphere was intensively studied. Balloons, radars, missiles, and satellites were used for this purpose. The study is still ongoing by scientists at Booker Flats, It is a facility under the supervision of the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.

The phases of the aurora borealis

• First: These protons and electrons are liberated as a result of collisions between solar gas molecules, as the surface temperature of the Sun, which reaches millions of degrees, allows for frequent and explosive collisions with high energies.
• Second: The rotation of the Sun helps these liberated electrons and protons escape from the Sun’s gravity, and the energy they gain from the collision helps them to do so.
• Third: These charged particles reach the Earth through the solar wind.
• Fourth: The Earth’s magnetic field — which is weaker than it is at the poles — works to deflect these particles and scatter them. But some of them enter the Earth’s atmosphere and collide with atmospheric particles. These collisions emit the light we call the aurora borealis in the north and south.

Where is the best place to watch the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights can be seen in either the Northern or Southern Hemispheres, in an irregular oval shape around each magnetic pole. The lights are known as “Aurora Borealis” in the north and “Aurora Australis” in the south. Scientists have found that the northern and southern auroras in most cases are very similar, as if one is the image of the other in the mirror, as they repeat at the same time in similar shapes and colors.

Because the phenomena occur near the magnetic poles, the best places to see the lights (in North America) are in the northwest parts of Canada, particularly the Yukon, Nunavut, the Canadian Northwest Territories, and Alaska. They can also be seen over the southern tip of Greenland, Iceland, the northern coast of Norway, and on the northern shore of Siberia. As for the southern aurora, it is not often observed because it is concentrated in uninhabited areas: Antarctica and the southern Indian Ocean.

Areas that are not subject to “light pollution” are the best places to view the lights. Small apartment complexes in the north are the best. The aurora lights generally extend from 80 kilometers (50 miles) to 640 kilometers (400 miles) above the Earth’s surface.

When is the best time to watch the aurora borealis?

The researchers also discovered that the aurora borealis is cyclical, peaking approximately every 11 years. Winter in the North is usually a good season for spotting the lights. The long nights and clear skies provide many good opportunities to see the twilights. Usually, the best time is the local midnight when the sky is clear.

Northern Lights Legends

Aurora Borealis, the name given to the lights of the northern hemisphere, means: “dawn of the north.” The name of the Northern Lights: is Aurora Australis, which means: “dawn of the south.”

In the Middle Ages, the appearance of the twilight was seen as an omen of war or famine. New Zealand’s Maori people, on the other hand, shared the belief of many in northern Europe and North America that these lights were the reflection of large bonfires or bushfires.