Question

three reasons for nothern ligths?

Answer 1

Isn't it Romantic?The amazing color displays and formations of the Northern Lights(also called "aurora borealis") are produced by basically three things:1. The solar wind - a continuous flow of the Sun's magnetic field carrying charged particles (electrons and protons) from the Sun's atmosphere far out into the solar system.2. The "magnetosphere" - the area surrounding the Earth containing its magnetic field. The magnetic field is concentrated at the north and south magnetic poles.3. The Earth's atmosphere - the protective shield of gases that surrounds the planet.Electrically charged particles come from space (1) and enter the Earth's magnetosphere (2). They accelerate along the Earth's magnetic field lines which concentrate at the poles. The particles then plunge into the upper atmosphere (3) where they collide with the gases that surround the Earth.These collisions create energy, and the excess energy is given off in the form of light emissions. We call these light emissions the Northern Lights.