Aurora Borealis: When Magnetism Paints the Sky

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is a natural light show near Earth’s poles.
It happens when charged particles from the Sun collide with Earth’s atmosphere.
Earth’s magnetic field guides these particles toward the polar regions.
Oxygen glows green or red, while nitrogen produces blue and purple colors.
The lights dance and shimmer as solar particles interact with shifting magnetic fields.
Auroras can stretch hundreds of miles across the sky and be seen from space.
Strong solar storms make auroras visible farther south than usual.
The Southern Hemisphere has its own version, called the Aurora Australis.
Ancient cultures often saw auroras as omens or messages from the gods.
Today, auroras are a breathtaking reminder of the link between the Sun and Earth.