NORTHERN LIGHTS OR AURORA

AN AURORA COMES COMES FROM LATIN AS A NATURAL LIGHT DISPLAY IN THE SKY THAT IS COMMON IN THE ARCTIC.  IT IS A COLLISON OF ENERGETICLLY CHARGED PARTICLES WITH ATOMS IN THE HIGH ALTITUDE.  THE CHARGED PARTICLES WITH ATOMS THAT ORIGINATE IN THE WIND, ON EARTH AND IN A MAGNETIC FIELD INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.  MOST AURORAS OCCUR IN A BAND KNOWN AS THE AURORAL ZONE.  DURING A STORM THE AURORAL ZONE EXPANDS TO THE LOWER ALTITUDES

AURORA ARE CLASSIFIED AS DIFFUSE.   IT IS A FEATURELESS GLOW IN THE SKY MIGHT BE VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE, EVEN ON DARK NIGHTS.   THE LIGHTS  VARY IN COLOR AND BRIGHTNESS.  AURORAS ARE ARCES GENERALLY INVISIBLE TO  THE NAKED EYE.

THE AURORA BOREALIS IS NAMED AFTER A ROMAN GODDESS OF DAWN, AURORA, AND GREEK NAME FOR THE NORTHERN WIND.  THE LIGHTS CAN CHANGE WITHIN SECONDS. OR GLOW GLOW FOR HOURS IN FLOURESCENT GREEN.  THE CREE INDIANS CALL IT THE DANCE OF THE SPIRITS.  SOME CULTURES THOUGHT THEY WERE A SIGN OF GOD

THE SOUTHERN LIGHTS IN SOUTH AMERICA ARE SIMILAR TO THESE AURORAS OCCUR ON OTHER PLANETS CLOSE TO THE POLES AS WELL.  THEY RESULT  FROM  PHOTOS IN THE ATMOSPHERE AABOVE 8 KM, AND OXYGEN  AND NITROGEN RETUEN FROM AN EXCITED STATE TO GROUND.  THEY ARE EXCITED IONIZED OR COLLIDE WITH SOLAR WIND AND ACCELERATE BY COLLISION.  AT HIGH ALTITUDE OXYGEN , RED DOMINATES AND OXYGEN GREEN AND BLUE PREVENT ANY OTHER OTHER COLOR. GREEN IS THE MOST COMMON AURORA.

AURORAS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SOLAR WIND  FLOWING FROM THE SUN.  AURORAS ARE MORE FREQUENT DURING HIGH WINDS AND WHEN THE SOLAR CYCLE HAS MASS INJECTIONS.  AN AURORA HAS A DIFFUSE GLOW OR CURTAIN THAT GOES EAST TO WEST.  SATELLITES SHOW THE ELECTRONS ARE GUIDED BY MAGNETIC FIELDS SPIRALING AROUND THE EARTH.  THE AURORA MAY BE A DIVERGING RAY.

SOME SPECTACULAR AURORAS RESULTED WITH GEOMAGNETIC STORMS ON AUGUST 28 AND SEPTEMBER, 1859.  IT WAS SEEN THROUGHOUT  THE WORLD - THE U.S., EUROPE, JAPAN AND AUSTRALIA.  SOME SCIENTISTS HAVE REPORTED SOUND ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.  THESE INCLUDE CLAPPING AND CRACKLING.

THE SOURCE OF ENERGY OF AURORA IS THE SOLAR WIND FLOWING PAST THE EARTH.  THE SOLAR WIND IS PLASMA OR IONIZED GAS THAT CONDUCTS ELECTRICITY.  SINCE 1830 THEY FOUND THAT WHEN AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR IS PLACED WITHIN A MAGNETIC FIELD AND AN ELECTRIC CURRENT IS INDUCED.  IN PARTICULAR THE SOLAR WIND CONDUCTS FLUIDS WITH RELATIVE MOTION.  THE DYNAMO ACTION OF THE WIND PRODUCES QUIET AUROAS.  SINCE WE HAVE DIGITAL CAMERAS THAT HAVE HIGH SENSITIVITIES, IMAGES OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS ARE MORE COMMON TODAY.

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