Aurora
Atmospheric effect caused by the solar wind
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Key Takeaways
- aurorae or auroras ) is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions around the Arctic and Antarctic.
- Auroras display dynamic patterns of radiant light that appear as curtains, rays, spirals or dynamic flickers covering the entire sky.
- These disturbances alter the trajectories of charged particles in the magnetospheric plasma.
- The resulting ionization and excitation of atmospheric constituents emit light of varying colour and complexity.
- Other planets in the Solar System, brown dwarfs, comets, and some natural satellites also host auroras.
An aurora (pl. aurorae or auroras) is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions around the Arctic and Antarctic. The terms northern lights (aurora borealis) and southern lights (aurora australis) are used in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres respectively. Auroras display dynamic patterns of radiant light that appear as curtains, rays, spirals or dynamic flickers covering the entire sky.
Auroras are the result of disturbances in the Earth's magnetosphere caused by enhanced speeds of solar wind from coronal holes and coronal mass ejections. These disturbances alter the trajectories of charged particles in the magnetospheric plasma. These particles, mainly electrons and protons, precipitate into the upper atmosphere (thermosphere/exosphere). The resulting ionization and excitation of atmospheric constituents emit light of varying colour and complexity. The form of the aurora, occurring within bands around both polar regions, is also dependent on the amount of acceleration imparted to the precipitating particles.
Other planets in the Solar System, brown dwarfs, comets, and some natural satellites also host auroras.
Etymology
The term aurora borealis appeared in a 1649 description by Pierre Gassendi of an auroral display visible all over France in 1621. Gassendi had read the works of Galileo Galilei, who used the term in his extensive writings about aurora in 1619. The term entered the English language in 1828.
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