Aurora Borealis
Discover the magical dancing lights in the northern sky created by particles from the sun
Beautiful green and purple northern lights dancing across the dark night sky
Aurora Borealis, also called the Northern Lights, is one of nature's most magical light shows! These incredible dancing curtains of green, purple, and red light appear in the night sky near the North Pole. The lights seem to dance and wave like colorful ghosts floating through the darkness, creating one of the most beautiful sights on Earth.
Nature's Light Show in the Sky
The Northern Lights happen when tiny particles from the sun crash into Earth's invisible magnetic shield high above our heads. Solar wind carries these particles across space at incredible speeds. When they hit our magnetosphere (Earth's magnetic field), they get funneled toward the North and South Poles.
How the northern lights form when tiny particles from the sun hit Earth's invisible magnetic shield
Different gases in our atmosphere create different colored lights when hit by solar particles. Oxygen creates the most common green color, and sometimes red. Nitrogen makes blue and purple lights. The lights usually appear 60-200 miles above Earth's surface - much higher than where airplanes fly!
When and Where to See Them
Winter months are the best time to see Northern Lights because the nights are longest and darkest. Alaska, northern Canada, Iceland, Norway, and northern Finland are some of the best places to spot them. You need to be far from city lights and have clear, dark skies for the best viewing.
Solar storms make the Northern Lights brighter and more active, sometimes making them visible much farther south than usual. Aurora forecasts help people predict when the lights might appear. Indigenous peoples of the Arctic have many beautiful legends about these mysterious dancing lights in the sky.
Aurora Borealis reminds us that Earth is connected to the sun and space in amazing ways - these dancing lights show us the invisible forces protecting our planet while creating one of the most spectacular natural shows in the universe!
