Why in the News?

Recently, NASA shared this incredible image of an aurora taken from the International Space Station.

What is Aurora?

• An aurora is a natural light display that shimmers in the sky.
• They are only visible at night, and usually only appear in lower polar regions.
• Auroras come in colors like blue, red, yellow, green, and orange.
• They're mostly visible near the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, known as the aurora borealis and aurora australis, respectively.
• These natural light shows occur when the solar wind from the sun meets Earth's magnetic field, creating a beautiful halo of light around the poles.
• This collision between solar wind ions and Earth's atmosphere atoms leads to stunning auroras.
• Their color depends on altitude and the atoms involved.
• Red comes from oxygen ions higher up, while the familiar green-yellow hues arise from interactions at lower altitudes.
• Sometimes, reddish and bluish tints appear, created by ions colliding with nitrogen atoms.
• The most active auroras happen when the solar wind is strongest, affected by solar weather changes, which follow an 11-year cycle.
• Equinoxes and magnetic storms can cause auroras to be seen even in mid-latitudes, affecting communication signals and occasionally causing disruptions.
• Auroras are a natural spectacle, painted by the collision of solar wind and Earth's atmosphere, creating these dancing lights in the night sky.