The Aurora Borealis, known as the Northern Lights, is a surreal and beautiful phenomenon that occurs over Earth’s magnetic poles. With its long and cold nights, winter is the best time to view this occurrence, but they appear in the fall as well. In this video, shot in Lapland, Finland, the mesmerizing green waves were spotted earlier this month. While they can be seen in northern US states like Minnesota, your best bet to view the Northern Lights lies far north in places like the Yukon or Northwest Territories of Canada, Alaska, and places like Greenland, Iceland, and Norway.
A simple explanation for what causes the Northern lights is that gaseous particles from the Earth’s atmosphere collide with charged particles released from the Sun’s atmosphere. The pale, yellow-green lights most commonly seen come from oxygen molecules in the air about 60 miles above the earth. The more rare colors, like red, are produced by higher altitude oxygen, up to 200 miles above the Earth’s surface.
While most often associated with the North Pole, this light show appears In the Southern Hemisphere as well, where it is known as Aurora Australis. While more rare, these can be seen near Antarctica and over the southern Indian Ocean. In fact, scientists have determined that in many instances the two hemispheres will mirror one another, with the lights appearing at the same time and with similar shapes and colors.
Image via diana_robinson
