Published By: Darielle Britto

Habits to adopt for a healthy heart

Collision of electrons produce specific hues

The hues of Northern lights are determined by the collision of electrons with nitrogen or oxygen, and the intensity of energy with which the phenomenon is occurring. The altering energy produces a photon with a specific hue or wavelength. For instance, the collision of electrons with oxygen generates a red or greenish-yellow light, while nitrogen generates light with a blue tinge. The colours blend to produce, white, purple, and pink swirls of lights in the night sky.

Where to spot the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights mostly occurs near the polar regions or at high latitudes, as electrons travel along the lines of magnetic field of the Earth, which is quite intense near the poles. In Greenland or Alaska, you can spot the auroras almost every night and these curtains of lights also occur during the daytime but are visible only after dusk. The presence and visibility of auroras can also be traced in some low-latitude regions like Mexico in the south, owing to moderate geomagnetic activity. This unusual type of aurora is known as sporadic aurora and unlike the polar auroras, it possesses a red hue.

Some people claim to hear auroras

As opined by the scientists, the auroras occur in the upper atmosphere which is too sheer and far away, implying that the sound would take nearly five minutes to reach anyone on the earth. Despite all the scientific explanations, some people claim that crackling and whooshing noises can be heard from the auroras. In recent years, several research groups from Finland and Denmark detected the sounds from auroras through microphones and recorded them.

Existence of Southern Lights

One can witness the auroras even in the magnetic pole of the south, but these are vividly visible only when they are fairly active. These swirling curtains of lights are known as aurora australis and can be best viewed from New Zealand's southern tip. These spirals sometimes create mirror images of one another at the south and north poles.

So, which fact fascinated you the most?