Auroras are natural light displays predominantly seen in high-latitude regions around the Arctic and Antarctic, caused by the interaction between charged particles from the sun and the Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere. When these solar particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, they excite the atoms, resulting in the emission of light, which creates vibrant bands of color in the sky. The most common colors are green, pink, red, yellow, blue, and violet. The phenomenon is often associated with the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) in the northern hemisphere and the Southern Lights (Aurora Australis) in the southern hemisphere. Auroras typically occur in a polar region and are more visible during winter months when the night sky is darker and clearer. The frequency and intensity of auroras can vary based on solar activity, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
A new study has revealed that understanding the common factors behind celestial light shows can have far-reaching implications for predicting space weather. The remarkable auroras that grace Earth's skies are…