What are the northern lights? The aurora borealis explained
What causes the northern lights? The northern lights are caused by the interaction between the magnetic fields of the Sun and Earth. Dr Geoff Vasil, who studies the Sun’s workings at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Mathematics, explains how this creates an aurora. “The Sun is a nuclear furnace, squeezing atoms together at its heart to release energy,” Geoff explains.
Northern lights (aurora borealis): what they are and how to see …
Nov 21, 2024 · In the Northern Hemisphere, the phenomenon is called the northern lights (aurora borealis), while in the Southern Hemisphere, it's called the southern lights (aurora australis). The bright colors...
Scientists Have Proved What Causes The Northern Lights : NPR
Jun 10, 2021 · Nothing can ruin our joy in the aurora borealis, or northern lights, those ribbons of blue, green and violet light that cascade from the sky. Not even knowing for sure what causes them.
What Is an Aurora? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
Frequently there are beautiful light shows in the sky. These lights are called auroras. If you're near the North Pole, it is called an aurora borealis or northern lights. If you're near the South Pole, it is called an aurora australis or the southern lights.
What causes the Northern Lights? - Royal Museums Greenwich
The aurora borealis, also known as the 'northern lights', is one of the most spectacular displays in the night sky. What is the science behind these colourful curtains of light?
What Are the Northern Lights and What Causes Them?
The Northern Lights are an astronomical natural phenomenon consisting of displays of lights across the Earth’s night sky, and they are mostly visible at the highest latitudes of our planet. The Northern Lights appear mostly green in the sky, but can also show blue, pink, and red lights.
What are the Northern Lights? And how can you see them?
Feb 28, 2014 · What are the Northern Lights? The Northern Lights - or aurora borealis - appear as bright, swirling curtains of lights in the night sky and range in colour from green to pink and scarlet. The...
The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) Explained - WorldAtlas
Apr 12, 2022 · These dancing bands of light are indeed one of nature's most stunning sights. What are they, and how do they form? The answers to these questions help us understand the Earth's relationship with the Sun.
What Are the Northern Lights? Aurora Borealis Explained
Feb 6, 2023 · The northern lights are also called "aurora borealis", or simply "auroras". The "northern" part of the name is because they occur along the North Pole. That said, these lights appear in both polar regions, in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
What are the northern lights? - Library of Congress
The northern lights, one of several astronomical phenomena called polar lights (aurora polaris), are shafts or curtains of colored light visible on occasion in the night sky. Aurora borealis – the Northern Lights.