Northern Lights…

A bright light suddenly across from the dark sky. Most people may guess it is the lightning, but if you live near the north pole you would definitely spell out Aurora. Green lights, purple lights and even red lights. All different kinds of lights show up in the sky and consist a spectacular image that words cannot even describe.

Actually, in the ancient time, local residents did not know the northern lights are a kind of scientific phenomenon. Some people described it as a sign that was given from the Gods while other people thought it is the splash of snowflakes played by little fox. However, with the development of scientific knowledge, scientists discovered the real cause of the aurora and found out several facts.

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First of all, the northern lights actually are the interacting between charged particles and earth’s magnetic field. When particles come out from the sun, they react with magnetic field and store energy. When that energy release, it turns out to be aurora consisting of several types of wavelength. Different types of aurora are caused by diverse particles. For example, when most people went to see the aurora, they saw green or orange color for the most part of time. The reason is that most part of air consists of nitrogen and oxygen. And when oxygen atom interacts, it releases a green light. When nitrogen atom interacts, it releases orange light. Also, those phenomena can be seen in the space too. However, there are still some unknown information carried with aurora, like the weird sound. Scientists are still investigating.

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Furthermore, one of the important suggestions is about photographing those fantastic northern lights. Through the research, professional photographer suggests that it is essential that we carry a camera that you are comfortable to operate and have an extra battery due to the cold temperature. Also, the low temperature sometimes would hurt the camera lens, it is better for us to keep it in the bag until the aurora shows up.

In conclusion, here are some traveling suggestions if you want to see the aurora. There are numerous places, like Alaska in USA, Norway in Europe, and North Canada. First, since aurora usually appears in the late night, it is important for you to carry warm clothes. Second, you need to contact with the local tour guide, because they own the information package to know where has the most chance for the appearance of the aurora. Third, you can also plan to further local activities like ski or sledding.

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Aurora is a mystery created by nature. Even though we may not have enough knowledge to discover the deep concept, it would definitely find out in the future. Also, I would highly recommend you to travel to one of the places I listed above. It would be part of the best experiences in your life.

Sources:

  1. Facts about Northern Lights
  2. How to Photograph Northern Lights
  3. Photos Recording Northern Lights Sound

3 thoughts on “Northern Lights…

  1. Pedro de Mello

    I love the Northern Lights because they are not only a magnetic phenomenon, they are important for many cultures as an image of the gods or of divine expression. In some Norse accounts it is said to be the shine coming off of the armours and shields of the valkyries, or sometimes it is likened to the Bifröst, the rainbow bridge to the heavens. Native Americans believed it was the souls of their ancestors, and the Chinese saw it as the fire of fighting dragons. The Aurora Borealis (Latin for “morning winds”, loosely) is a fundamental facet of cultures that developed within the arctic circle, as well as a fascinating astronomical event. Nice topic, definitely not something I would have thought to talk about.

  2. Anthony Michael Calligaro

    I find the northern lights fascinating as well. I remember reading a book about the northern lights as a child (sorry, but I don’t know the name of the book), and couldn’t believe what I was reading. I enjoyed reading your blog and your explanation of how northern lights are created by nature, yet I wish you would have included why aurora occurs in the north and not in other geographical locations. Don’t worry. According to this article (link below), northern lights occur in the north and south due to the north and south poles. The magnetic field that you mentioned is created because of the magnetic poles. Also, when referring to these lights in the north, one can say “aurora borealis,” while the lights in the south can be called “aurora australis.”

    http://www.northernlightscentre.ca/northernlights.html

  3. Zihan Wang

    Hi, Yixiao Jiang. Your topic is natural science, and I like this topic. When I read your blog, I know that north light is aurora, and the color of it is diverse, exist in north pole. I think you did well in transition of different paragraphs. First, you quote a past thing that people think aurora is god’s light as introduction, in the following, you taught me that aurora is a kind of particle comes from sun: different particle with variable colors, and for your suggestion, I get some good places to see aurora. If you and add some class materials into your blog, I think it will be better.

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