Page 26 - Cosmos Edition 3

The Dancing Northern Lights

Nature’s very own light show plays out near the poles of the earth. Every now and then, the night sky near
the Arctic and the Antarctic regions erupts in a dazzling display of dancing lights in colours ranging from
golden, green and blue to purple and red. Appearing splendid and eerie all at once, the scientific term for
this natural light display is ’Aurora’-a name put forth by a 17 century French scientist name Pierre Gassen-
th
di.

The Science of Auroras : Aurora form near the poles due to the concentration of the magnetic
field in these parts. Common around the equinoxes, i.e. on March 20 and September 22, Auroras occur when
solar particles and atmospheric particles run into each other. Solar flares taking place on the surface of the
sun result in the forceful emission of solar particles. These particles travel towards the Earth at a speed of
millions of kilometers per hour. When they collide with particles in the Earth’s atmosphere, light is produced.

The magnetic and electric forces interact in shifting combinations, giving the impression of dancing lights,
while the colour of lights depends on the altitude at which the collision takes place. These lights are known
as the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis around the North Pole, and can be seen across Greenland, Nor-
way, Canada and Alaska. In the Southern Hemisphere, these lights are called the Aurora Australis or the
Southern Lights and are visible in Antarctica, Australia and South America.

Aurora Myths
Aurora appears like abstract light paintings in the sky and people have interpreted them in many ways:
Natives of Scotland used auroras to predict weather. If the lights moved quickly, unsettling weather was ex-
pected. But if the lights moved slowly and gracefully, favorable weather was predicted.

-Suhana. S.Wagle

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