Auroras

Did any of you notice those strange greenish colored lights in the sky last night anybody mark I did sir They were beautiful, but what were they we call them the northern lights? But they're also called auroras There are two types of auroras those in the northern hemisphere and those in the southern hemisphere in the north We call them the aurora borealis in the south. They're the aurora Australis Auroras appear as colorful streams of light in the sky in high northern and southern latitudes They frequently occur during the months before or after the equinox The equinox happens in March and September. That's when the planet is tilted so that it's neither pointed away from nor toward the Sun So uh, why do auroras occur? They're the result of reaction in the upper atmosphere Solar winds hit the Earth's magnetic field this may excite the oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the atmosphere After some time the atoms become relaxed as they relax the electrons in these atoms give off energy This energy appears in the form of light the color of the light depends on whether it comes from oxygen or nitrogen In addition the height in the atmosphere helps determine the colors that the light forms also Just so you know oxygen usually emits a green or brownish red light Nitrogen typically gives off a red or blue light most auroras are green in color.