Aurora Borealis

The aurora borealis, or northern lights, is a shimmering natural phenomenon of rare beauty and mystery. Occurring mostly at high latitudes in the polar, arctic and subarctic regions, it is the result of solar wind plasma collisions with oxygen and nitrogen atoms within the earth’s magnetic field, resulting in an energy release of photons. The colours of the aurora range from pearly white, golden yellow and fluorescent green, the most common, to brownish- red, vivid red and pure blue, the rarest of all. Colours vary according to altitude and to the distribution and state of the atmospheric atoms, and the frequency and intensity of the aurora varies with the intensity of the solar cycle. Often appearing as curtains of coloured light, the aurora evolves and changes constantly. The resulting “light show” may last minutes or hours. Despite our scientific understanding of the aurora, it is easy to share the sense of awe that the ancients must have felt at its remarkable appearance.