Tales of the Northern Lights
Imagine a canvas painted with vibrant streaks of emerald, ruby, and amethyst, shimmering and swirling across the night sky. This awe-inspiring sight is called the Northern Lights, or the Aurora Borealis. You can see them if you are between 60 and 75 degrees of latitude. They usually happen from late August to mid-April when there are not any clouds in the sky. These magical lights change shape from thin wisps to blindingly bright flashes, and people have been fascinated by them for millennia.
The very name “Aurora Borealis” whispers of celestial grandeur. Roman goddess Aurora, personifying dawn, and Boreas, the north wind, lend their titles to this magnificent light show. In Norse mythology, it was a fiery bridge connecting the worlds, while the Japanese saw it as a brushstroke of beauty and good fortune.
Across cultures, interpretations varied. For some North American communities, it was the dance of departed spirits, while Eskimos believed it could bridge the gap with ancestors. Others saw it as a harbinger of misfortune, like the First Nations of Hudson Bay who feared it as the lanterns of demons. Even Europeans spun tales of death, war, and pestilence that were mixed into the fabric of the Aurora.
For a long time, the origin of the Aurora Borealis remained a celestial enigma. It was not until the turn of the 20th century that scientist Kristian Birkeland came up with an exciting idea. He suggested that when particles carrying electric charges come near Earth, they get pulled towards the North and South poles by our planet's magnetic field. When these particles meet gases in the atmosphere, it creates a beautiful and captivating light show.
This idea turned out to be right. The Earth’s magnetic field, which is created by the swirling hot liquid iron in its outer core, works like a protective barrier against the never-ending solar wind. The solar wind is a continuous flow of charged particles that come from the sun. Sometimes when really intense solar storms happen, they can cause the magnetic field to move and create Alfven waves that travel away from Earth.
These Alfven waves travel at incredible speeds, and as they approach Earth, their velocity increases further due to our planet's magnetic attraction. Remarkably, electrons released during solar storms also surf these waves, reaching mind-boggling speeds of up to 45 million miles per hour.
Upon entering Earth’s thin upper atmosphere, these energetic electrons collide with nitrogen and oxygen molecules, exciting them. As these excited molecules return to their stable state, they release energy in the form of light, creating the breathtaking Northern Lights. This celestial ballet not only paints the night sky with vibrant hues but also protects our planet from the harmful effects of the solar wind.
If you have ever wanted to see the stunning Northern Lights up close, then visit spots like the northwestern regions of Canada, the bottom of Greenland and Iceland, or the northern edge of Norway. As long as you are willing to wait a bit and have a clear night sky, there is a good chance you will get to witness this amazing natural light show.
