The lights we see in the night sky are in actual fact caused by activity on the surface of the Sun Solar storms on our star’s surface give out huge clouds of electrically charged particles The aurora’s characteristic wavy patterns and ‘curtains’ of light are caused by the lines of force in the Earth’s magnetic field
What is the reason for northern lights?
It is a true curiosity of the natural world and a major tourist attraction But the reason behind the origin of the northern lights has been a mystery What causes this very specific light phenomenon that occurs in the Earth’s polar regions has been speculated but never proven, until now
Why do the northern lights only happen in the North?
In the north, it is called Aurora Borealis and in the south, it is called Aurora Australias Of the two poles, the aurora can be seen the strongest near the arctic circle in the Northern Hemisphere The reason that the Aurora can only be seen at the poles has to do with how the Earth’s magnetic field acts
Can the northern lights harm you?
The Northern Lights occur so high up in the atmosphere that they don’t pose any threat to people watching them from the ground The aurora itself is not harmful to humans but the electrically charged particles produced could have some potentially negative effects to infrastructure and technology
Do the Northern Lights happen every night?
There is no official season since the Northern Lights are almost always present, day and night Caused by charged particles from the sun hitting atoms in Earth’s atmosphere and releasing photons, it’s a process that happens constantly
Does the South Pole have Northern Lights?
The electrons that create auroras start in the outer layers of the field, where it is compressed by the solar wind The north pole aurora is called the aurora borealis and the aurora at the south pole is called the aurora australis
Which country is the best place to see northern lights?
What are the best places to see the Northern Lights? Tromso, Norway Based in the heart of the aurora zone in the Norwegian Arctic, the city is widely regarded as one of the world’s best places to see the Northern Lights Swedish Lapland Reykjavik, Iceland Yukon, Canada Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland Ilulissat, Greenland
Why does Earth have northern lights or auroras?
Bottom line: When charged particles from the sun strike atoms in Earth’s atmosphere, they cause electrons in the atoms to move to a higher-energy state When the electrons drop back to a lower energy state, they release a photon: light This process creates the beautiful aurora, or northern lights
Why shouldn’t you whistle at the northern lights?
Don’t whistle at the Northern Lights Alerted to your presence, the spirits of the lights will come down and take you away Having said that, North American Indians often whistled at the Northern Lights to encourage them to come closer so they could whisper messages that would then be taken to the dead
Can planes fly through northern lights?
“We can actually fly into the auroras,” says eye-witness Don Pettit, a Flight Engineer for ISS Expedition 30 Lately, the International Space Station has been flying through geomagnetic storms, giving astronauts an close-up view of the aurora borealis just outside their windows: video
What would happen if you touched an aurora?
The aurora is emitted between 90 and 150 km in altitude (ie mostly above the ‘official’ boundary of space, 100 km), so ungloving your hand inside an aurora would likely be fatal (unless a fellow astronaut immediately reattaches your glove and repressurizes your suit)
Do the Northern Lights make noise?
Reports of the aurora making a noise, however, are rare – and were historically dismissed by scientists But a Finnish study in 2016 claimed to have finally confirmed that the northern lights really do produce sound audible to the human ear
Can you see the Northern Lights with the naked eye?
Yes Most commonly the aurora seen will be green or whitish, but depending on the strength of the activity, pinks and reds are also visible to the naked eye
Where in the US can you see the Northern Lights?
Fairbanks, Alaska With possibly the highest number of Northern Lights sightings than any other US state, Alaska as a vantage point also offers some of the clearest and most dazzling views Fairbanks is one of the most popular destinations to view the lights in Alaska
Who discovered the Northern Lights?
The 17th century astronomer, physicist and philosopher, Pierre Gassendi, saw the Northern Lights on a trip in the North and named them the Aurora Borealis
How long do Northern Lights last?
A good display may last for no longer than 15-30 minutes at a time, although if you’re really lucky, it could extend to a couple of hours or longer To see the Northern lights, the sky needs to be dark and clear of any clouds Some people claim the aurora comes out when temperatures are colder
Why are the Northern Lights green?
The most common colour seen in the Northern Lights is green When the solar wind hits millions of oxygen atoms in the Earth’s atmosphere at the same time, it excites the oxygen atoms for a time and then they decay back to their original state, when they emit the green hue we can see from the ground
Where can u see Aurora?
Fairbanks, Alaska In Fairbanks, Alaska, the sky glows with the aurora borealis Yellowknife, Canada The aurora borealis spreads out above Prosperous Lake in Yellowknife, Canada Tromsø, Norway Northern Sweden and Finland Greenland Tasmania and New Zealand
How does aurora look like?
They can look like an orange or red glow on the horizon — like a sunrise or sunset Sometimes they may be mistaken for fires in the distance, like the American Indians thought They can look like curtains or ribbons and move and undulate during the night Auroras can be green, red or blue
Is there land in the Arctic Circle?
The land within the Arctic Circle is divided among eight countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the United States (Alaska), Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut), Denmark (Greenland), and Iceland (where it passes through the small offshore island of Grímsey)