What’s aurora?

Every second, one million tons of matter is blasted from the Sun at the velocity of one
million miles per hour, and it's on a collision course with Earth! But don't worry, this isn't the
opening of a new Michael Bay movie. This is The Journey of the Polar Lights.

The northern and southern lights, also known as the aurora Borealis and aurora Australis,
respectively, occur when high energy particles from the Sun collide with neutral atoms in our
atmosphere. The energy emitted from this crash produces a spectacle of light that mankind
has marveled at for centuries.

But the particles' journey isn't just as simple as leaving the Sun and arriving at Earth. Like
any cross-country road trip, there's a big detour and nobody asks for directions. Let's track
this intergalactic voyage by focusing on three main points of their journey: leaving the Sun,
making a pit stop in the Earth's magnetic fields, and arriving at the atmosphere above our
heads.

The protons and electrons creating the northern lights depart from the Sun's corona. The
corona is the outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere and is one of the hottest regions. Its
intense heat causes the Sun's hydrogen and helium atoms to vibrate and shake off protons
and electrons as if they were stripping off layers on a hot, sunny day. Impatient and finally
behind the wheel, these free protons and electrons move too fast to be contained by the Sun's
gravity and group together as plasma, an electrically charged gas. They travel away from the
Sun as a constant gale of plasma, known as the solar wind.

However, the Earth prevents the solar wind from traveling straight into the planet by setting
up a detour, the magnetosphere. The magnetosphere is formed by the Earth's magnetic
currents and shields our planet from the solar winds by sending out the particles around the
Earth. Their opportunity to continue the journey down to the atmosphere comes when the
magnetosphere is overwhelmed by a new wave of travelers. This event is coronal mass
ejection, and it occurs when the Sun shoots out a massive ball of plasma into the solar wind.
When one of these coronal mass ejections collides with Earth, it overpowers the
magnetosphere and creates a magnetic storm. The heavy storm stresses the magnetosphere
until it suddenly snaps back, like an overstretched elastic band, flinging some of the detoured
particles towards Earth. The retracting band of the magnetic field drags them down to the
aurora ovals, which are the locations of the northern and southern lights.

After traveling 93 million miles across the galaxy, the Sun's particles finally produce their
dazzling light show with the help of some friends. 20 to 200 miles above the surface, the
electrons and protons meet up with oxygen and nitrogen atoms, and they sure are happy to
see each other. The Sun's particles high five the atoms, giving their energy to the Earth's
neutral oxygen and nitrogen atoms. When the atoms in the atmosphere are contacted by the
particles, they get excited and emit photons. Photons are small bursts of energy in the form
of light. The colors that appear in the sky depend on the wavelength of the atom's photon.
Excited oxygen atoms are responsible for the green and red colors, whereas excited nitrogen
atoms produce blue and deep red hues. The collection of these interactions is what creates
the northern and southern lights.

The polar lights are best seen on clear nights in regions close to the magnetic north and south
poles. Nighttime is ideal because the Aurora is much dimmer than sunlight and cannot be
seen in daytime. Remember to look up at the sky and read up on the Sun's energy patterns,
specifically sunspots and solar flares, as these will be good guides for predicting the auroras.
Summary
The northern and southern lights, also known as the aurora Borealis and aurora Australis, create a
mesmerizing light show in our atmosphere. This spectacle occurs when high-energy particles from the Sun
collide with neutral atoms in Earth's atmosphere, resulting in an awe-inspiring display that has fascinated
humanity for centuries. Let's delve into the intergalactic voyage of these particles, exploring their journey
from the Sun to Earth's atmosphere.

The journey begins in the Sun's corona, the outermost layer of its atmosphere. The corona's intense heat
causes hydrogen and helium atoms to vibrate, releasing protons and electrons into space. These free particles
combine to form plasma, an electrically charged gas, and are propelled away from the Sun as the solar wind.
However, the solar wind faces an obstacle on its path towards Earth: the magnetosphere. Earth's magnetic
currents create this protective shield around our planet, diverting the solar wind around it. Yet, the
magnetosphere has its limits and can be overwhelmed by specific events, such as coronal mass ejections
(CMEs). During a CME, the Sun releases a massive ball of plasma into the solar wind. When one of these
CMEs collides with Earth, it creates a magnetic storm, stressing the magnetosphere until it suddenly snaps
back and flings some of the solar wind particles towards Earth.

After traveling 93 million miles across the galaxy, the particles finally reach Earth's atmosphere. 20 to 200
miles above the surface, they meet oxygen and nitrogen atoms. The protons and electrons transfer their
energy to these neutral atoms, exciting them and causing them to emit photons, small bursts of light energy.
The colors of the auroras depend on the wavelength of these emitted photons, with excited oxygen atoms
producing green and red hues, and excited nitrogen atoms contributing to blue and deep red colors. The
collection of these interactions creates the mesmerizing northern and southern lights.

To witness this stunning phenomenon, one must be in regions close to the magnetic north and south poles.
The auroras are best seen on clear nights, as they are dimmer than sunlight and cannot be observed during
the day. Predicting the auroras can be aided by monitoring the Sun's energy patterns, including sunspots and
solar flares.
In summary, the journey of the polar lights is a remarkable interplay of cosmic forces. It starts with high-
energy particles leaving the Sun's corona as the solar wind, encountering Earth's magnetosphere on their
way. If a coronal mass ejection overwhelms the magnetosphere, the solar wind particles get directed towards
Earth, where they create the awe-inspiring auroras. These particles eventually collide with Earth's
atmosphere, transferring their energy to oxygen and nitrogen atoms, and producing the brilliant display of
colors we know as the northern and southern lights. The beauty of this celestial dance reminds us of the
fascinating mysteries of our universe and offers a breathtaking sight for those fortunate enough to witness it.

Words
1. Northern and southern lights: Dazzling light shows in the sky caused by solar particles colliding with
Earth's atmosphere.
2. Auroras: Natural displays of light in the Earth's atmosphere, occurring near the magnetic poles.
3. Solar wind: Stream of high-energy particles emitted by the Sun into space.
4. Plasma: An electrically charged gas composed of protons and electrons.
5. Magnetosphere: Earth's protective shield created by magnetic currents, diverting solar wind around
the planet.
6. Corona: The Sun's outermost layer, known for its intense heat and plasma release.
7. CMEs: Coronal mass ejections, massive balls of plasma released by the Sun.
8. Atmosphere: The layer of gases surrounding Earth or another celestial body.
9. Oxygen and nitrogen atoms: Elements found in Earth's atmosphere, involved in creating auroras.
10. Photons: Small bursts of light energy emitted by excited atoms.
11. Wavelength: The distance between two corresponding points on a wave, determining the color of
light.
12. Solar flares: Explosive releases of energy from the Sun's surface.
13. Interactions: Exchanges or collisions between different particles or elements.
14. Excited atoms: Atoms that have gained energy and are in an excited state.
15. Colors: Different visual perceptions resulting from varying wavelengths of light.
16. Magnetic poles: Geographic points on Earth where the magnetic field lines converge.
17. Predicting: Foretelling or estimating future events based on patterns or data.
18. Celestial: Relating to the sky, stars, and other celestial objects.
19. Cosmic forces: Powerful natural forces that operate in the universe.
20. Universe: All of space, time, matter, and energy in existence.