The Aurora Lights

Sep 15, 2012 by CheriWellnitz732

Lights in the sky have fascinated us for thousands of years. The lights in the far north and south of our planet are some of the much more popular ones.

What was in that Soup?

Travel to Antarctica or the Arctic and youll start off thinking you are possessing hallucinations. For the duration of the evenings, the sky will literally glow.

In the Northern Hemisphere these lights are recognized as the aurora borealis. They are portion of a larger light phenomenon known as aurora. In the Southern Hemisphere, these lights are recognized as the aurora australis or southern lights. In specific countries such as Russia, the northern lights are recognized as the white nights. Regardless of the hemisphere, the aurora has an uniform cause.

The aurora is the result of streams of electrons reacting to the magnetic field of the Earth. At far northern latitudes, the magnetic field is very close to the surface of the planet. Where the field penetrates the atmosphere, electrons react with gases such as oxygen and make the impact recognized as the northern lights.

The aurora is undeniably stunning. The lights seem in a range of forms, but typically combine a glow and curtain like roll. The light literally appears to slowly flow across the sky much like a sheet in the wind. The lights, however, can also appear in a curve comparable to a rainbow or lengthy lines. The specific shape is entirely dependent on how the magnetic field is interacting with the atmosphere.

On rare occasions, auroras might appear closer to the equator. This uncommon event is connected with enormous solar events. When our sun kicks out a massive solar flare, the resulting solar radiation batters our magnetic field. This battering will actually push the field back into the atmosphere of the planet. When this happens, folks about the planet are provided a possibility to see the aurora without having traveling the far north or south.

The aurora is really an wonderful thing to see. If you are compelled to encounter it, Alaska and Norway are regarded as the very best viewing areas.

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