The Auroras
What is it and how does it happen?
The Aurora Australis and the Aurora Borealis are coloured lights in the sky caused when electrically charged particles (plasma) from the Sun collide with the Earth's atmosphere. Plasma is ejected from sun spots on the Sun's surface creating a solar storm. The solar storm travels through space at 8 million miles per hour (12 874 752 kilometres) and after 18 hours it reaches Earth. Here the Earth's magnetic field stops the solar storm from coming any closer, the two magnetic fields join together and the gases flow down and cause the day light aurora. The night time aurora is caused when the magnetic fields go even further back and join together, the gas flows down the magnetic lines to the North and South Pole.
Where can it be seen?
The Aurora Australis can be seen around the South Pole and the Aurora Borealis can be seen around the North Pole.
What does it look like?
The colours of lights are made from different gases, each gas shows up as a different colour in the sky. Red light is oxygen, green light is oxygen with hydrogen and the blue light is Nitrogen. They can also be seen in the colours purple, yellow and pink.
The aurora comes in many different forms some of which include, the curve with rays, the crown, the smooth band and the curtain.
All auroras are different, you will never find two auroras which are exactly the same.
Watch the video to find out more on how the Earth's mangnetic field causes the lights in the sky.
What is it and how does it happen?
The Aurora Australis and the Aurora Borealis are coloured lights in the sky caused when electrically charged particles (plasma) from the Sun collide with the Earth's atmosphere. Plasma is ejected from sun spots on the Sun's surface creating a solar storm. The solar storm travels through space at 8 million miles per hour (12 874 752 kilometres) and after 18 hours it reaches Earth. Here the Earth's magnetic field stops the solar storm from coming any closer, the two magnetic fields join together and the gases flow down and cause the day light aurora. The night time aurora is caused when the magnetic fields go even further back and join together, the gas flows down the magnetic lines to the North and South Pole.
Where can it be seen?
The Aurora Australis can be seen around the South Pole and the Aurora Borealis can be seen around the North Pole.
What does it look like?
The colours of lights are made from different gases, each gas shows up as a different colour in the sky. Red light is oxygen, green light is oxygen with hydrogen and the blue light is Nitrogen. They can also be seen in the colours purple, yellow and pink.
The aurora comes in many different forms some of which include, the curve with rays, the crown, the smooth band and the curtain.
All auroras are different, you will never find two auroras which are exactly the same.
Watch the video to find out more on how the Earth's mangnetic field causes the lights in the sky.