The northern lights are caused by charged particles from the sun (solar wind) colliding with gases in the Earth's atmosphere.
These particles are directed by the Earth's magnetic field towards the poles, and when they collide with gases like oxygen and nitrogen, they release energy in the form of light.
That glow you see dancing across Arctic skies? It’s basically space weather hitting Earth's atmosphere.
Imagine the sun throwing a cosmic glitter storm toward Earth. Our magnetic field acts like a forcefield, funneling most of it safely toward the poles. When the particles smash into oxygen high up in the sky, they often create green light—the most common aurora color. But bump into nitrogen, and you might get flashes of violet, pink, or even deep red.
Here’s a fun twist: the red auroras happen way higher up—about 200 miles above Earth. Meanwhile, green ones tend to hang lower, around 60 miles high. It’s like layers of colorful frosting in the sky, each based on the altitude and the type of gas.
And while we call them the “northern” lights, there’s a southern version too: the aurora australis.
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