Northern Lights

There are nights in the far north when the sky seems to be painted with a glowing, colorful brush. The northern lights, also known as the Aurora borealis, are one of the most beautiful sights in Earth’s atmosphere.

Sometimes the sun releases electrically charged particles that travel toward the Earth. Once in our atmosphere, the particles collide with gases in our own air. This happens at least sixty miles above the planet’s surface. The result of each tiny collision is a colorful glow. When millions of these illuminations happen at the same time, the northern lights are visible.