Discover when and where to see the … Solar storms on our star's surface give out huge clouds of electrically charged particles. Before man could explain the origin of the auroras through science, people invented stories to make sense of their existence. Imagine gazing up at green, red, and purple lights flickering across the sky. Wow! The primary colors of the Aurora Borealis are luminous green, violet, and pink. These particles can travel millions of miles, and some may eventually collide with the Earth. The sun is responsible for these charged particles. Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis, or Norrsken in Swedish, is a magical phenomena. Some Northern Lights Facts. What causes the aurora borealis or 'northern lights'? This zone extends over northern Scandinavia, Iceland, the southern tip of Greenland and continuing over northern Canada, Alaska and along the northern coast of Siberia. https://www.visitnorway.com/.../facts-about-the-northern-lights Incredible myths and tales inspired by them are woven into the cultural fabric of many societies, and Iceland is no exception. Here are some facts about the Northern Lights. Another factor that det The best place to see the Aurora australis is in Antarctica in the winter months, if you’re prepared for one chilly holiday. The Aurora or Polar Lights are an amazing sight, that can been seen from the Earth or above the Earth in the Artic or Antarctic. The origin of Auroras. International Folklore . Brush up on your aurora borealis trivia. Aurora was the Roman goddess of the dawn, and Borealis is derived from the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas. Thanks to modern science and technology, however, we have been able to find many answers explaining the science behind the beautiful Aurora Borealis. Aurora Borealis, surpassing any other forms of light show created by man. 3. Pink and green are the most common colours of the lights, although they can also be seen in red, yellow, violet and blue. Remember – if the skies are overcast, there will be little chance of seeing the lights. The Northern Lights appear to those on the ground in different forms . Astronomers have also spotted aurora on Uranus and Neptune. The lights we see in the night sky are in actual fact caused by activity on the surface of the Sun. Did you know? The Aurora Borealis at the Artic is called the Northern Lights. One of the most enduring memories visitors to Finland take back home is that of having seen the spectral beauty of the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights.Every year thousands of tourists arrive in Lapland to take advantage of the fact that this amazing spectacle is visible for around 200 nights of the year. Nitrogen typically gives off a violet or pink color, while vertical blues are caused by electrons colliding with ionised nitrogen. Earth isn’t the only planet with aurora. Captivating, for sure. Fun aurora borealis facts. The aurora borealis is very beautiful and is named after Aurora, who used to be the Roman goddess of dawn, and after the Greek term “boreas” which referred to the northern wind. Even though she is the sunrise, her name has been taken to denote the lights that appear in certain conditions in the northern hemisphere (the Aurora Borealis) and in the southern hemisphere (the Aurora Australis). 2. Facts About The Aurora Borealis. (Wikimedia/Kristian Pikner/CC BY-SA 4.0) They're both right! An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), sometimes referred to as polar lights (aurora polaris), northern lights (aurora borealis), or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in the Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic).. Auroras are the result of disturbances in the magnetosphere caused by solar wind. Auroras in the southern hemisphere are functionally no different than the auroras visible in the Arctic, being caused by the same factors and manifesting in the same ways. The stunning green hues of the aurora borealis streak the sky as the glowing volcano sits majestically below. This is the reason why the aurora borealis is most often seen at midnight; it is also seen up north in a circle which includes the central Alaska, the coast of Siberia near the Arctic Ocean, the northern edge of the peninsula in Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland, and the Southern part of the Hudson Bay (Akasofu 325). Myths and Legends . The colors of the Northern Lights are dependent on gas and electrons in the atmosphere. 4. As such, witnessing the aurora borealis tops the bucket list of many travellers to Iceland. Nature’s spectacular light show! Sign in to Purchase Instantly. If you stay above the Arctic Circle, the best advice is to set aside an entire evening for observation. Myths and legends keep this history alive, much like the interactions of human beings with other natural phenomena like earthquakes, volcanoes, and sudden weather events like hurricanes and tornados. During geomagnetic storms, the aurora borealis can also manifest itself in regions with a lower latitude. Many people travel to Iceland every year to see the Northern Lights. Aurora Borealis Colors Come from Gas and Electrons. Scary? 3. Sometimes northern lights were believed to be the Bifrost Bridge. Aurora Borealis
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2. The Aurora Zone is THE original Northern Lights holiday company. (Photo: NASA) By Heather Yundt. Greenland: Indigenous Greenlanders believed that the aurora was made up of the spirits of children who had died in childbirth. The Aurora Borealis are a fantastic natural phenomenom to behold and Iceland is one of the best place on Earth to see them. The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, are dramatic and colourful light formations which can be seen in the skies in the northern hemisphere. The aurora borealis or northern lights is a natural light display in the Earth‘s sky. Here are a few Northern Lights Facts. For centuries, humans have viewed the northern and southern lights - aurora borealis and aurora australis - and created myths and folklore to explain the dancing lights they saw in the sky. Dot to Dot in the Sky (Stories of the Aurora): The Myths and Facts of the Northern Lights 68. by Joan Galat, Lorna Bennett (Illustrator) | Editorial Reviews. But surrounding the Auroras are many legends and myths. There are also the Southern Lights which offer a similar visual display. They can look like a swirl of colours dancing through the sky, rays of light reaching up into space, and sometimes they appear as a giant fissure stretching across the sky. It's no wonder the aurora borealis have influenced folklore and stories through the ages. https://www.norwayexcursions.com/en/blog/7-fun-facts-about-aurora-borealis We have built up an extensive range of trusted and knowledgeable Aurora guides, photographers and experts throughout Northern Scandinavia and combined with our 6-point Aurora hunting plan, we … … The International Space Station sits at the same altitude as the Northern Lights meaning astronauts can see the lights from the side. The phenomenon of the Aurora Borealis, otherwise known as the Northern Lights, has an ancient history steeped in unique myths and folklore, globally. The Aurora Borealis is a result of charged particles in solar winds colliding with gases in the upper atmosphere. Here are eight amazing facts about the northern lights. Northern Lights myths and old stories around the globe . The ionization of gas molecules results in the multicolored display over regions in the Arctic Circle. The aurora borealis, or northern lights as they’re better known, are a galaxial mystery, or they were until Google and Wikipedia explained the science. Aurora Borealis 1. In Norse myths aurora borealis thought as reflections of the shining spears, armors and helmets of the valkyries. Ship This Item — Qualifies for Free Shipping Buy Online, Pick up in Store Check Availability at Nearby Stores. Magical arc that lead straight into Valhalla the home of the gods and goddesses. With that being said, here are some fascinating facts about aurora borealis. The auroral borealis in Estonia. 1. Stories come from places as far apart as Iceland, Greece, and China, and legends of what the aurora borealis represented vary just as much. You bet. Aurora Borealis are actually the effect of crashes between particles in the Earth's atmosphere with charged particles discharged from the atmosphere of the Sun. In fact, Mathews hopes that his experience can be a lesson for others. The Aurora Australis at … Astronauts on the International Space Station have a side view of the aurora borealis. Here’s a compilation of some of the most popular aurora legends from cultures around the world. The Aurora Borealis / Australis is a fantastic phenomenon…. The aurora borealis can make for a spectacular night sky show, even sometimes visible from space. It occurs most frequently in a belt of radius 2500 km (1550 mi) centered on the magnetic north pole. As the photograph has gone viral, it's only become a sweeter reward for Mathews' patience. Aurora borealis or northern lights? Usually, this phenomenon appears at the geographic poles between 3 and 6 degrees latitude and at the The word Aurora Borealis itself is derived from the combination of the Greek words, "aurora", which means "sunrise" and "borealis", which means wind. Jupiter and Saturn have auroral ovals on both hemispheres. Paperback $ 16.95. High-energy electrons cause oxygen to emit green light, while low-energy electrons cause a red light. 2. European Myths and Legends. The best place to see the Aurora borealis is in Alaska, USA in the winter when it is in darkness 24 hours a day. In Europe, you can also get a good sighting in Tromso, Norway, and the city of Murmansk on the Kola Peninsula of Russia. The Auroras, as we know today, are dependent on the interactions of the sun and our upper atmosphere, and have thus appeared since before history began to be recorded. The many sightings of the aurora borealis in Europe through time has given us a rich trove of myths and tales. Aurora Borealis does not come out to anyone’s schedule and can appear at any time. With a mass of about 300,000 times of the Earth, the sun burns brightly through nuclear reactions which are taking place in it all the time. Aurora is the Roman goddess of dawn and Boreas is the Greek term for the north wind, hence the name Aurora Borealis. Auroras are caused by collisions between fast-moving electrons from the magnetosphere – a region of space controlled by Earth’s magnetic field – and oxygen and nitrogen molecules in Earth’s upper atmosphere. However, due to the fact that Antarctica is both remote and uninhabited, the aurora australis was not as well-known as the aurora borealis until relatively recently. They can appear as sheets or arcs of light, or rays. January 1, 2013. We often hear the same questions regarding this beautiful natural phenomenon. To improve your odds of viewing the magisterial display, avoid a full moon and well-lit areas. Aurora Tourism in Finland. 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