Have you ever heard of polar lights? A stunning display of radiant dancing lights?
Aurora Borealis, sometimes referred to as polar lights, northern lights, or southern lights, is a natural light display in the Earth’s sky, primarily seen in the high-latitude regions. Natural occurrences like these have always intrigued me and I spend my free time researching and exploring more about such phenomenons.
The main cause of the occurrence of the northern lights are because of the collisions between charged particles released from the sun’s atmosphere and the atoms of certain gases like oxygen and nitrogen in the earth’s atmosphere. The electrons present in the atoms move to a higher-energy state and when the electrons drop back to a lower energy state, they release a photon – light and start glowing. The colour variations are because of the type of the particles colliding. This process results in the creation of the picturesque aurora lights.
In order to see the Northern Lights, you need a dark, clear night. They are visible from late August to early April anytime during dark hours, which in places like Abisko, Tromso can be seen nearly 24 hours a day in winter.
But why does this occur only in the northern and southern parts of the world? The reason is due to how the poles and the magnetic fields of earth interact with each other.
Here is a link to a video of the Northern Lights by Natural Geographic – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izYiDDt6d8s. Enjoy viewing the colourful curtain of lights making a breath-taking sight!
Featured Image courtesy – https://www.thrillist.com