By Sakshi Sah
Published Sep 14, 2024

Hindustan Times
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Photo Credits: NASA

Celestial canvas: 5 breathtaking NASA pics of auroras across Earth's horizon

Here are some fascinating facts about auroras.

Auroras are natural light displays in the sky, typically seen in polar regions, caused by charged particles from the Sun interacting with Earth’s atmosphere.

Auroras occur when solar wind, made up of charged particles from the Sun, collides with Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere.

Auroras are known as the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis in the northern hemisphere and the Southern Lights or Aurora Australis in the southern hemisphere.

The best time to view auroras is during the winter months when nights are longest and skies are darkest.

The intensity of auroras increases during periods of high solar activity, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections.

NASA uses satellites and space stations to observe and study auroras, providing valuable data about Earth’s space weather and magnetic field.

Viewing auroras from space offers a unique perspective, showing how they spread across the polar regions and interact with Earth’s magnetic field.

The colours of auroras are usually green, red, and purple depending on the type of gas in the atmosphere and the altitude where the particles collide.

Earth's magnetic field plays a key role in creating auroras, while also protecting the planet from harmful solar radiation.

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