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What are the Northern Lights & how do you see them?
Where are the Northern Lights located?
Are the Northern Lights a natural phenomenon?
What is a name for the Northern Lights?
Feb 9, 2024 · Discover everything there is to know about the northern lights, including how they form, where they can be seen and what causes their colors.
- Stefanie Waldek
- What Are The Northern Lights?
- What Causes The Northern Lights?
- Why Are They called The Northern Lights?
- Why Is The Aurora More Frequent in Winter?
- Do The Northern Lights Have Any Effect on Earth?
- Are There Southern Lights?
- Do Other Planets Have Auroras?
- How to See The Aurora in The Night Sky
The northern lights, also called the aurora borealis, is the name given to the colorful, celestial light displays famous across the northern latitudes. They are most commonly seen in Northern Canada, Alaska, Northern Europe, and Russia.
The northern lights stem directly from the Sun's core, which is powered by intense nuclear activity. Periodically, this activity boils over and streams of electrically charged particles called plasma are released from the Sun and shot out into space. Some of them make their way to our planet. As they pummel the Earth's magnetic field, they get funn...
According to NASA, the aurora borealis was coined by Galileo Galilei in 1619 A.D. He named them after the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora. Other sources accredit the French philosopher and contemporary of Galileo, Pierre Gassendi,with coining the name, however. But the earliest recorded sighting of the aurora seems to have occurred in 2600 B.C.E....
The best time to see the aurora borealis is during the winter months, but in reality, the northern lights don't occur more often during any one season. Rather, the frequency and intensity of the lights is driven by the behavior of the Sun. “The seasonal variations that we see on Earth are just because that's where it's dark enough to see them,” Jod...
The northern lights aren't harmful to Earth, but the solar plasma that creates them can and does affect technological infrastructure. Because of this potential for harm, there’s an entire industry dedicated to tracking “space weather,” the electromagnetic conditions in space around the Earth, usually driven by the Sun, Ream says. “It can disrupt co...
Yes. The southern lights are called the "aurora australis," and they are created in the same way as northern lights. The land near the north pole is significantly more populated than the land nearest the south pole, so more people see the northern lights. In reality, the southern lights happen just as frequently, and they are just as spectacular.
The short answer is yes. University of Leicester space scientist Jonathan Nichols, tells Inverse:“Any planet with a large magnetic field and a significant atmosphere has auroras. In our solar system, that's Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.” Aurora-like activity has also been reported on Mars, Nichols says. This is surprising, because ou...
To see the aurora borealis, you need to be in the right place at the right time and have the correct viewing conditions. The best time to see the northern lights are on dark, clear nights in the winter months and close to a New Moon. Generally, from September to April are the best viewing months. To ensure you get the best from this natural light s...
Jul 12, 2023 · Here's what you need to know about the northern lights. What are the northern lights? Formally called the aurora borealis, the northern lights are an atmospheric phenomenon in which...
- Stefanie Waldek
Find a place where you can see to the north ( or south if you are in the southern hemisphere). Given the right vantage point, say for example on top of a hill in the northern hemisphere with an unobstructed view toward the north, a person can see aurora even when it is 1000 km (600 miles) further north.
Camera. Memory card. Extra batteries. Crampons. How long should I plan a trip to see the lights? Locals in the aurora hot spots are used to chasing the northern lights and many tourist companies have tailored tours to help visitors see these spectacular attractions.
Mar 13, 2022 · The northern lights come in a variety of shapes and colors. The most common form is a general whitish "haze" or static glow just above the horizon. In more spectacular shows, the lights can be...
Feb 29, 2024 · Our northern lights 2024 guide tells you where and when to see aurora borealis throughout Europe and North America.
