The Aurora Borealis, other known as northern lights, are a very colorful, striking image of curtain like colors moving throughout the sky. They are mostly sighted in the earth's oval magnetic pole source, 60 latitude mark in north and south region. The southern lights are called Aurora Australis. The magnetosphere protects us from these dangerous winds to enter our atmosphere. A good place to see the aurora display is Fairbanks, Alaska where they are know for there record and common sightings.
The auroras are directly formed by solar light in our atmosphere. The atoms and molecules get drawn by the earth's magnetic poles creating a belt of particles. Most don't draw attention but we over 200 million move toward the poles there visible, most likely not to spot them with fewer than 200 molecules moving. Electrons react to oxygen and nitrogen to create a glorious display of colors and lights.
The auroras are formed by solar winds and light, from the sun, interacting with our atmosphere. The atoms and molecules in the light interact differently therefore display different colors. The most common is the yellow-green light formed by oxygen atoms roughly sixty miles up in our atmosphere, high altitude lights(200 miles) display a rare-red color, ionized nitrogen molecules display blue, and neutral nitrogen molecules display violet in lower areas. Many people record the sights as well as the unusual sound. The waves create a magnetical pulse that can be picked up with special radio receivers.
The auroras rage a height of 60 miles to 200 miles up in our upper atmosphere. That's about ten to 33 times higher than jets fly. The discoveries of these facts were in 1830 when Veryl Fuller found that they all show at the same altitude. Other discoveries such as in 1774 there found to be from a solar source and in 1963 there found to be mirror like in refection from each hemisphere since they are from equal sources.
