Explained: What Are The Northern Lights

By: EjazUlHaqBhat

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The Northern Lights, also called the Aurora Borealis, are a stunning display of coloured lights in the night sky

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These lights occur when charged particles from the sun (solar wind) collide with gases in Earth's upper atmosphere

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It happens primarily near the magnetic poles, creating a vibrant, dancing spectacle of light due to the interaction with Earth's magnetic field

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The particles are captured by the magnetic field and drawn towards the poles where they collide with atmospheric gases, releasing energy as light

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The lights can be green, purple, pink, scarlet, or other colours. They appear to move and dance across the sky in an unpredictable way

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These beautiful lights are seen in the northern and southern hemisphere

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Both the northern and southern hemispheres' poles are good places to watch the aurora

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A good display of the northern lights might last 15-30 minutes, but it can sometimes last for a couple of hours or longer

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