AURORAS LIT UP 2024! Here’s What You Need to Know
A Year of Celestial Wonders As 2024 wraps up, the sun is not going quietly. Recent solar activity, highlighted by three intense flares, may give Earth a dazzling farewell in…
Auroras are natural light displays predominantly seen in high-latitude regions near the Arctic and Antarctic. They are caused by the interaction of solar wind, a stream of charged particles emitted by the sun, with the Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere. When these particles collide with gas molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere, they excite the molecules, resulting in the emission of light. This phenomenon typically manifests as vibrant, colorful waves or curtains of light, often in shades of green, pink, red, yellow, blue, or violet. The most commonly observed auroras are the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, in the northern hemisphere, and the Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights, in the southern hemisphere. Auroras occur mainly in the polar regions due to the Earth’s magnetic field lines funneling solar particles towards the poles, creating these stunning displays.
A Year of Celestial Wonders As 2024 wraps up, the sun is not going quietly. Recent solar activity, highlighted by three intense flares, may give Earth a dazzling farewell in…