This blog contains information about Auroras or Northern Lights. In the start, it explains what is Aurora. Then it tells that how Northern and Southern lights are formed. It also mentions the specific locations of Northern and Southern lights. Then it shine a light on Auroras created as the result of Recent Solar Storm. This blog contains Formation and Locations of Northern Lights.
What is Aurora?
Aurora is the common name of northern and southern lights. It is the natural light display in Earth’s Sky. They are predominantly seen in the region with high latitude.
Auroras display dynamic patterns of brilliant lights that appears as curtains, rays, spirals and dynamic flickers covering the sky. Aurora are amazing to see and looks unreal and divine. Auroras are divine gift of the Creator so people all around the world do to aurora locations to see the beauty of Northern and Southern lights. Lets talk about the formation of these beautiful auroras.
How Auroras forms?
As we know that Earth has its magnetic field lines around the atmosphere that protect us from solar wind. These magnetic field is stretched and dragged. They snap back like elastic band, launching the charged particles towards the Earth surface along the magnetic field lines. Auroras occur when these charged particles colloid with the gases in present in the upper atmosphere of the Earth. The energized particles slam into the gases found in upper atmosphere with the speed of 45 million mph, but planet’s magnetic field protects us from the onslaught and produces aurora. Collisions flashes tiny flashes that fill the entire sky with colorful light. This is how the auroras forms. This blog contains Formation and Locations of Northern Lights.
Why are Northern Lights Green?
It is an interesting question that why Northern lights are green and sometimes rosy red? The reason behind it is that they contain excited Oxygen atoms. The green from oxygen atoms 62 to 93 miles above the ground, while the red is 93 to 217 miles above the ground. It does not change the color most of the because, the other gas found in the atmosphere is Nitrogen that is non-reactive. But when it occasionally reacts with Nitrogen, it gives Pink color. So the charged particles from the sun only reacts with oxygen atoms and rarely with Nitrogen atoms. That is why green and red color is the most observed color in Northern Lights.
Does Auroras Makes Noise?
As we know that there is an interaction of charged particles from reactive gas Oxygen, so it must make noise according to science. It is hypothesized that auroras makes noise every time they become visible, but those noises are not audible to human ears. So that we can see them but not hear them. The noise of Auroras is audible on special occasions such as any extreme activity by auroras into the atmosphere, a solar storm and other such extreme conditions. But most of the time no Audible sound rises from Auroras (Northern Lights and Southern Lights). This blog contains Formation and Locations of Northern Lights.
Northern Lights Locations:
Following are the locations where you can see northern lights:
- Fairbanks, Alaska
- Tromso, Norway
- Luosto and Rovaniemi, Finland
- Orkney, Scotland
- Yellowknife, Canada
- Jukasjarvi, Sweden
- Reykjavik, Iceland
- Viking cruise along Norway coast
- Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
These are some of the locations to see northern lights.
Southern Lights Locations:
Southern lights are visible in the following locations:
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Antarctica
- Parts of South America
- Parts of Southern Ocean
All of these places have southern lights and the best time witness them at night is between 10 pm to 2 am.
Auroras and Recent Solar Storm:
On 11th may, 2024, a severe solar storm struck the Earth. Unlike previous solar storms, this was different and filled the sky of entire Earth with auroras. Aurora was seen in many parts of the world where it was never seen and never expected before. These auroras were seen in 17 different states and it is incredible because it was never happened in the past. It was announced for all the people around the world to go outside and see the auroras. These were as beautiful as the conventional auroras but at unique locations. It is predicted that like the 6 Feb, 2024 Solar Explosion and 11th May, 2024 Solar Storm, the sun can hit us with more power and more dangerous storms in near future. It is because solar activity is increasing and causing such dangerous consequences on the Earth’s atmosphere.
Effects of Enhanced Solar activity:
Enhanced solar activity may result in the following consequences:
More severe Solar Storms
Solar Explosions
Rise in temperature
Climate Change
Disturb Atmospheric Balance
Disrupt Earth’s Magnetic Field
All these consequences may occur because of enhanced solar activity and this can cause a great damage on Earth’s atmosphere and may reach to Earth surface and Earths residents.
Conclusion:
Auroras are one of worth watching phenomenon on Earth that is only visible at specific locations of the Earth. These are basically display of lights into the sky. Auroras look amazing in to the sky people from all over the world comes to see auroras at Aurora’s locations. We categorize Auroras as Northern and Southern Lights according to their distributions in regions of Earth. According to science, these forms by charged particles from the sun, reacts with Earth’s Magnetic field. When these particles reacts with the gases present into the atmosphere (Oxygen and Nitrogen), they form lights that are visible into the sky.
In the recent solar storm, due to enhanced Solar Activity, the Auroras were seen at unexpected locations such as London, where they were never seen before. It was a threat for humans that if Solar Activity keep on enhancing with time, it can cause severe damage. We do not have any equipment or protection against Solar Activity and Its upcoming damages on their way.
Solar Storm 11th May, 2024
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