GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -In the ionosphere, the ions of the solar wind collide with atoms of oxygen and nitrogen from Earth’s atmosphere. The energy released during these collisions causes a colorful glowing halo around the poles-an aurora.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Northern Lights are actually the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth’s atmosphere with charged particles released from the sun’s atmosphere. Variations in colour are due to the type of gas particles that are colliding.

Detailed explanation-3: -Aurora was the Roman goddess of the dawn. Helios, the sun god, and Selene, the moon goddess, were her brother and sister. Aurora rode across the sky each morning before her brother, Helios rode across with the sun.

Detailed explanation-4: -The aurora can be seen near the poles of both the northern and southern hemisphere. In the north the display is known as the aurora borealis; in the south it is called the aurora australis. These ‘northern’ and ‘southern lights’ have fascinated, frightened and inspired humans for centuries.

Detailed explanation-5: -Bottom line: When charged particles from the sun strike atoms in Earth’s atmosphere, they cause electrons in the atoms to move to a higher-energy state. When the electrons drop back to a lower energy state, they release a photon: light. This process creates the beautiful aurora, or northern and southern lights.