The northern lights Aurora borealis

1. Are the northern lights and aurora borealis the same thing?
2. Why is aurora borealis so special?
3. What causes the northern lights aurora borealis?
4. Where is aurora borealis located?

Are the northern lights and aurora borealis the same thing?

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are a spectacular, colourful display of light commonly seen in the night sky in the northern hemisphere. Auroras in the southern hemisphere are known as the southern lights, or aurora australis.

Why is aurora borealis so special?

The aurora borealis – otherwise known as the northern lights – is a vivid demonstration of the Earth's magnetic field interacting with charged particles from the sun. It's also beautiful, and worth braving a cold night out when visiting the high northern (or southern) latitudes.

What causes the northern lights aurora borealis?

What lights up the sky? The light show we see from the ground is caused by electrically charged particles from space entering the Earth's upper atmosphere at a very high speed. These particles originate from our star - the Sun.

Where is aurora borealis located?

The northern lights most commonly occur within the geographic area beneath the auroral oval. It encompasses latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees and takes in Iceland, northern parts of Sweden, Finland, Norway, Russia, Canada and Alaska as well as southern Greenland.