What is the scientific name for the Northern Lights?
The aurora borealis, also known as the ‘northern lights’, is one of the most spectacular displays in the night sky.
What element is in the Northern Lights?
Oxygen: The big player in the aurora is oxygen. Oxygen is responsible for the vivid green (wavelength of 557.7 nm) and also for a deep brownish-red (wavelength of 630.0 nm). Pure green and greenish-yellow aurorae result from the excitation of oxygen. Nitrogen: Nitrogen emits blue (multiple wavelengths) and red light.
What are some other names for the Northern Lights?
Northern lights are also called by their scientific name, aurora borealis, and southern lights are called aurora australis.
What molecules make the northern lights?
The northern lights are a phenomenon that appear in the sky when charged particles coming from the sun slam into oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere, ionizing those molecules and causing them to glow.
What are northern lights caused by?
Auroras occur when charged particles (electrons and protons) collide with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere. Those collisions produce tiny flashes that fill the sky with colourful light. As billions of flashes occur in sequence, the auroras appear to move or ” dance ” in the sky.
Are the Northern Lights colorful?
Most of the auroral features are greenish-yellow, but sometimes the tall rays will turn red at their tops and along their lower edges. On rare occasions, sunlight will hit the top part of the auroral rays to create a faint blue color.
What sphere is the Northern Lights in?
Aurora borealis occur in the Earth’s ionosphere, and result from collisions between energetic electrons (sometimes also protons, and even heavier charged particles) and atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere.
What is another word for Northern?
What is another word for northern?
| boreal | polar |
|---|---|
| northerly | hyperborean |
| arctic | northward |
| north | septentrion |
| septentrional | northly |
What layer are the Northern Lights in?
The thermosphere
The thermosphere is one of the layers in the atmosphere. Too thin for planes to fly and too cold for humans to survive. However, it is home to the beautiful northern lights–the aurora. However, they are not the only things that happen in the thermosphere.
What is the reason for Northern Lights?
Earth’s atmosphere is mostly made up of nitrogen and oxygen. Once the solar particles reach Earth’s atmosphere, they collide with atoms of nitrogen and oxygen, stripping away their electrons to leave ions in excited states. These ions emit radiation at various wavelengths, creating the characteristic colors.
What is the chemistry of the Northern Lights?
Chemistry of Northern Lights. An aurora is a natural light phenomenon, which occurs in the high latitude regions of the two poles. They are known as northern lights or aurora borealis around the arctic circle.
What is another word for northerly lights?
Synonyms for northern lights include aurora borealis, Aurora Borealis and Aurora Polaris. Find more similar words at wordhippo.com!
What is the difference between northern and Southern Lights?
An aurora is a natural light phenomenon, which occurs in the high latitude regions of the two poles. They are known as northern lights or aurora borealis around the arctic circle. On the other hand, they are known as southern lights or aurora australis around the Antarctic circle.
What is an aurora borealis?
An aurora is a natural light phenomenon, which occurs in the high latitude regions of the two poles. They are known as northern lights or aurora borealis around the arctic circle.