What is Aurora Borealis?

Answer 1

The Aurora Borealis (..Northern Lights..) is caused by high-velocity, charged particles from outbursts on our sun being caught in Earth's magnetic field. The particles interact with elements in our atmosphere to produce the colored glow often seen at night.

Aurora Borealis is a bright glow observed in the night sky, usually in the polar zone. For this reason some scientists call it a "polar aurora" (or "aurora polaris").

In northern latitudes, it is known as the aurora borealis, which is named after the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for north wind, Boreas. Especially in Europe, it often appears as a reddish glow on the northern horizon, as if the sun were rising from an unusual direction. The aurora borealis is also called the northern lights since it is only visible in the North sky from the Northern Hemisphere.

The aurora borealis most often occurs from September to October and from March to April. Its southern counterpart, aurora australis, has similar properties. Australis is the Latin word for "of the South".

Auroras are now known to be caused by the collision of charged particles (e.g. electrons), found in the magnetosphere, with atoms in the Earth's upper atmosphere (at altitudes above 80 km). These charged particles are typically energized to levels between 1 and 15 keV and, as they collide with atoms of gases in the atmosphere, the atoms become energized. Shortly afterwards, the atoms emit their gained energy as light (see Fluorescence).



Light emitted by the Aurora tends to be dominated by emissions from atomic oxygen, resulting in a greenish glow (at a wavelength of 557.7 nm) and - especially at lower energy levels and at higher altitudes - the dark-red glow (at 630.0 nm of wavelength). Both of these represent forbidden transitions of electrons of atomic oxygen that, in absence of newer collisions, persist for a long time and account for the slow brightening and fading (0.5-1 s) of auroral rays. Many other colors - especially those emitted by atomic and molecular nitrogen (blue and purple, respectively)[1] - can also be observed. These, however, vary much faster and reveal the true dynamic nature of auroras.

As well as visible light, auroras emit infrared (NIR and IR) and ultraviolet (UV) rays as well as X-rays (e.g. as observed by the Polar spacecraft).

While the visible light emissions of auroras can easily be seen on Earth, the UV and X-ray emissions are best seen from space, as the Earth's atmosphere tends to absorb and attenuate these emissions.

The glow of light seen near the south pole is Aurora Australis

Aurora Borealis is the glow of light seen in the northern hemisphere somewhere around the north pole.

Answer 2

Aurora Borealis of northern hemisphere.
Atmospheric Phenomenon.
Physical Phenomenon. Entity.

Answer 3

Aurora Borealis is the glow of light seen in the northern hemisphere somewhere around the north pole.
The glow of light seen near the south pole is Aurora Australis.

Answer 4

The Aurora Borealis (..Northern Lights..) is caused by high-velocity, charged particles from outbursts on our sun being caught in Earth's magnetic field. The particles interact with elements in our atmosphere to produce the colored glow often seen at night.

Answer 5

Aurora Borealis is a bright glow observed in the night sky, usually in the polar zone. For this reason some scientists call it a "polar aurora" (or "aurora polaris"). In northern latitudes, it is known as the aurora borealis, which is named after the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for north wind, Boreas. Especially in Europe, it often appears as a reddish glow on the northern horizon, as if the sun were rising from an unusual direction. The aurora borealis is also called the northern lights since it is only visible in the North sky from the Northern Hemisphere. The aurora borealis most often occurs from September to October and from March to April. Its southern counterpart, aurora australis, has similar properties. Australis is the Latin word for "of the South".

Auroras are now known to be caused by the collision of charged particles (e.g. electrons), found in the magnetosphere, with atoms in the Earth's upper atmosphere (at altitudes above 80 km). These charged particles are typically energized to levels between 1 and 15 keV and, as they collide with atoms of gases in the atmosphere, the atoms become energized. Shortly afterwards, the atoms emit their gained energy as light (see Fluorescence). Light emitted by the Aurora tends to be dominated by emissions from atomic oxygen, resulting in a greenish glow (at a wavelength of 557.7 nm) and - especially at lower energy levels and at higher altitudes - the dark-red glow (at 630.0 nm of wavelength). Both of these represent forbidden transitions of electrons of atomic oxygen that, in absence of newer collisions, persist for a long time and account for the slow brightening and fading (0.5-1 s) of auroral rays. Many other colors - especially those emitted by atomic and molecular nitrogen (blue and purple, respectively)[1] - can also be observed. These, however, vary much faster and reveal the true dynamic nature of auroras.

As well as visible light, auroras emit infrared (NIR and IR) and ultraviolet (UV) rays as well as X-rays (e.g. as observed by the Polar spacecraft). While the visible light emissions of auroras can easily be seen on Earth, the UV and X-ray emissions are best seen from space, as the Earth's atmosphere tends to absorb and attenuate these emissions.

Answer 6

You're channeling My Theory Rules, as if he was reincarnated as a sensitive chick. >>> Just joshin' I particularly liked the last stanza, but if you really want to phrase the first four lines as two questions, I think (opinion) you should probably punctuate with question marks. But you know I'm a Punctuationist and you didn't use any. Not even apostrophes! Antipunctuatarian! G'mornin'. >>> Pretty obscure reference to the goddess of lightening. I actually had to go google that one. One can only admire your erudition. };-{> >>> What do you mean by auspic? I couldn't find any obvious definition that worked as an adjective for tongue. Did you mean it in the sense of auspicious? >>> OK. Auspic. I get it. Sorry you got dropped from the contest! That's their loss, to be sure. I'll check out your manifest on punctuation this evening. Please post the link. Knowing me, I will lol at my computer screen which my family takes as a sign of dementia. All the best. >>> pffftt [What is the sound of coffee blowing out the nostrils?] lol.

Answer 7

Isn't it solar radiation caught in the Earths magnetic pull at the poles and giving off dramatic light shows.

Answer 8

it is a name of one kind of northern lights

Answer 9

northern lights

Answer 10

i think it's northern light