NORTHERN LIGHTS

 At certain times of the years, mainly in the spring and fall, when the weather is mild, natural puts on a spectacular light show know as the Northern Lights or an Aurora.

 The lights were named after Aurora, the Roman goddess of dawn, In Roman mythology, Aurora renews herself every morning and flies across the sky, announcing the arrival of the sun. The lights are mostly seen in Norway, Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland and Iceland. These extraordinary displays of color in night sky draw thousands of spectators, eager to witness their swirling and darting formations which can be a high as 400 miles above the Earth’s surface.

 The lights usually appear at the night or in the early morning and can best be seen in a very dark and cloudless sky away from artificial lights. They mostly appear in spirals or arcs and are usually green or pink. Sometimes, they dart across the sky and hang in the air like shimmering waves. The displays usually last up to half an hour and then start again an hour or two later.

Scientists believe the lights are caused by solar particles blown into the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and which collide with gaseous particles. Different types of gas cause different colours to be produced- nitrogen particles produce purple or blue colours while oxygen particles at high altitudes can cause red lights- a rare occurrence.

 Ancient cultures had a great awe and fear of the lights and some cultures thought they were lit torches being carried by the spirits of the dead to the next world. During the Middle Ages, people in Europe believed the lights were a sing from God.