An illustration of the structure of the magnetosphere which partially protects Earth from the Sun’s radiation.
Graphic: Original image by NASA, Additional rendering by Aaron Kaase via Wikipedia.com
In essence, the electrons from
the solar wind attach themselves
to the orbits of the Oxygen and
Nitrogen atoms in our atmosphere
and excite them; this gives rise to
the colours.
Aurora
typically
exhibit
a
prominent green colour, which
the interaction with the molecular
Oxygen. Atomic Oxygen often
gives off a red glow and Nitrogen
a pinky colour. The colour is actually
the result of a photon of light being
emitted from the exited molecule
and then returning to what we
call its ground state or lowest level
of excitement. This takes place at
higher altitudes normally way up in
the Ionosphere.
To best put yourself in a god place
to view the Aurora, you need to
travel into the polar regions, Alaska,
24
24
and Northern Canada; Northern
Russia and in Europe places like
Norway and Iceland are prime
aurora hunting locations.
Once you find yourself in these
locations in winter you then have
a front row seat for natures most
fantastic natural firework display.
As the Earth rotates around, your
location will enter what we call the
Auroral oval, this is an area of activity
away from the pole of the Earth,
here, when your locations moves
round into this zone you should see,
given good clear conditions various
Aurora.
Aurora comes in many different
forms, from Arcs, to Ray’s, Curtains,
and others. Some Aurora is quite
faint, and a good dark site will be
essential to see. Other bright Aurora
at the time of more solar activity
can easily be seen from cities.
There are of course many legends
associated with the lights. In fact
people left a record of aurora from
around 30,000 years ago in the late
Pleistocene era in France where
a painting by the Cro Magnon’s
depicted it, and in 2500Bc the
Chinese made Aurora records too.
Hesiod of Greece one of the
greatest poets ever to live wrote of
“Blazing Skies” and “Dragons”, and
Aristotle described the lights as a
“Shining Cloud”
Various cultures saw the Aurora
as harbingers of doom, in Northern
Europe for example the lights were
considered a bad omen, and
warned of illness and Plague. When
red aurora was seen this was said
to foretell of war and the red being
the “blood of battle”.
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