1The Greatest Light Show on Earth
Imagine the night sky suddenly turning into a giant, glowing painting of neon greens, soft pinks, and deep purples! These amazing light shows are called the Aurora Borealis in the North and the Aurora Australis in the South. While they look like magic, they are actually a spectacular interaction between our planet and the Sun. People have been watching these dancing lights for thousands of years, and some ancient cultures even told stories about them being dragons, spirits, or celestial bridges in the sky.
2Particles from a Solar Wind
The journey of an aurora actually begins 93 million miles away at the Sun! Our Sun is constantly blowing out a "solar wind" filled with tiny, invisible charged particles. When these particles reach Earth, our planet’s magnetic field acts like a giant superhero shield, protecting us from most of them. However, Earth's magnetic field lines pull some of these particles toward the weakest spots—the North and South Poles. When they crash into the gases in our upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million miles per hour, they release energy that we see as brilliant, shimmering light.
3A Rainbow of Cosmic Gases
Did you know that the color of the aurora depends on how high up the particles are and which gas they hit? Oxygen usually creates the most famous ghostly green light when it's about 60 to 150 miles high, but it can turn bright red if the collision happens even higher up! Nitrogen gas is responsible for producing beautiful blue or deep purple edges on the light curtains. These displays happen way above where airplanes fly—usually starting around 60 miles above the ground and reaching hundreds of miles into space. It is a colorful reminder of how connected our world is to the rest of the solar system.
