THE NORTHERN LIGHTS or AURORA BOREALIS

AURORA BOREALIS
"THE NORTHERN LIGHTS"

Aurora Borealis or The Northern Lights are actually the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth's atmosphere with charged particles released from the sun;s atmosphere.Variations in color are due to the type of gas particles that are colliding.The most common aurora color are a pale yellowish-green. It is produced by oxygen molecules located about 60 miles above the earth.Rare all-red auroras are produced by high altitude oxygen, at heights of up to 200 miles. Nitrogen produces blue or purplish-red aurora.

The bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collision between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the Earth's atmosphere.The lights are seen above magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres.They are known as "AURORA BOREALIS" in the north and "AURORA AUSTRALIS" in the south.

WHEN TO SEE THE LIGHTS
The northern lights are always present, but winter is usually the best time to see them, due to lower levels of light pollution and the clear, crisp air. September, October, March and April are some of the best months to view the aurora borealis. The lights are known to be brighter and more active for up to two days after sunsport activity is at its highest. Several agencies, such as NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, also monitor solar activity and issue aurora alerts when they are expected to put on a particularly impressive show.