The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, are one of the most dazzling natural phenomena on Earth. Let’s explore 10 incredible facts about these magical lights that dance across the sky!

1. What are the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights are colourful lights in the night sky caused by energy from the Sun colliding with Earth’s atmosphere.

These collisions release energy that lights up the sky in greens, pinks, reds, and purples.

2. The lights come from the Sun.

The Sun sends out a constant stream of charged particles, called the solar wind.

When these particles hit Earth’s magnetic field, they create the beautiful auroras.

3. They happen at the Pole.

The Northern Lights are most often seen near the North Pole, while the Southern Lights (aurora australis) happen near the South Pole.

This is because Earth’s magnetic field is strongest at the poles.

4. There are certain countries where the Northern Lights appear often!

Some of the best places to see the Northern Lights are Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Canada, and Alaska.

These places are close to the Arctic Circle, where the lights are brightest.

Read Top 10 Facts About Canada here!

5. They have different colours.

The colors of the Northern Lights depend on which gases in the atmosphere are being energized:

• Green: Oxygen at lower altitudes.
• Red: Oxygen at very high altitudes.
• Purple and Blue: Nitrogen.

6. They’re super high up.

The Northern Lights can occur as little as 60 miles above Earth to as high as 400 miles!

That’s higher than aeroplanes fly!

Discover more about the Northern Lights here!

7. They have been seen on other planets.

Auroras aren’t just an Earth thing.

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune also have auroras because they have magnetic fields and atmospheres, too.

8. There are ancient myths about the lights.

Different cultures have stories about the Northern Lights:

• The Inuit believed the lights were spirits playing a game in the sky.
• Vikings thought they were reflections of armor from the gods.
• Finnish legends said they were caused by a magical arctic fox running through the snow, its tail sending sparks into the sky.

9. You can hear them!

Some people claim to hear faint crackling or whistling sounds when the auroras are very bright.

Scientists are still studying whether this is true.

10. Solar storms make them stronger.

The Northern Lights are more intense during periods of high solar activity, like during solar storms.

These storms send extra energy into Earth’s atmosphere, making the auroras brighter and more widespread.

The Northern Lights are nature’s very own light show, and they remind us how incredible our planet and the universe are. Have you ever seen them, or would you like to?