Swipe Up
Samadrita Chakraborty |
Child Learning |
2024-08-08 |
null mins read
“A brightness like that of daytime shone unbroken from the east to the north.” No, this is not a quote from any of H.G.Wells’ science-fiction novels. This is what “The Annals of Saint Bertin” has recorded as a statement of the soldiers in 859 about the Aurora Borealis. Do you know what Aurora Borealis or Northern lights are? Though a magical show of these colourful lights has mesmerised humanity for ages, this is a violent event. Energised particles from the Sun slam into the Earth’s upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million mph (72 million kph), but mother earth is determined not to yield before this violence. So, the planet’s magnetic field protects us from the onslaught. However, these lights have been the point of great wonder for everyone for ages. People come from all over the world to see the beauty of these lights.
The ways experts have been trying to find the mystery behind the Bermuda Triangle. They conducted grave and detailed research to determine the reason for these northern aurora lights. In a nutshell, their study confirmed that the Sun becomes too angry sometimes and starts with a massive storm. These storms give out humongous electricity-charged particles on the Sun’s surface. Being afraid of the Sun, these particles want to run away millions of miles.
Meanwhile, they collide with our Earth. Though Earth disagrees with taking them in, the planet’s magnetic field wants to befriend some of them. Therefore, they attract them towards the north and south poles into the atmosphere. Hence, aurora activities are concentrated at the magnetic poles. “We call this physical ‘excitation’, but it’s very much like heating a gas and making it glow,” explained Royal Observatory astronomer Tom Kerss as northern lights reason.
Think of colourful lights dancing across the sky and people who do not know the reason behind it. What great potential for enticing stories these lights had, and they did so. Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei coined the term “Aurora Borealis” where the aurora is the Roman goddess of dawn, and the Boreas is the God of the north wind. Galileo mistook these beautiful northern lights as the sunlight reflecting from the atmosphere.
Numerous nordic myths found their origin in polar lights. Some considered them a message from God, while others believed the lights had terrible omens. Stories about Northern lights are so appealing that some communities still do not get out of their houses when the lights are in the sky.
For the Sami, the indigenous Finno-Ugric clan, northern lights can chop one’s head off, while Finlanders believe these lights are fire foxes who play across the sky. There is a difference in belief between Iceland and the Greenland community as well. While the former consider the lights ease the pain of childbirth, the latter people believe that the lights are the children who died during the childbirth. People in Norway believe that these lights are the maidens who went to heaven.
Just like a coin is not made without two sides, a planet is incomplete without two hemispheres. So, when there are Northern Lights, you can also find Southern Lights. The Northern Lights are known as Aurora Borealis, while the Southern Lights’ name is Aurora Australis. The same play of lights is shown in two poles.
According to astronomer Billy Teets, the director of Dyer Observatory at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, “These particles are deflected towards the poles by Earth’s magnetic field and interact with our atmosphere, depositing energy and causing the atmosphere to fluoresce.
Every type of atom or molecule in the atmosphere radiates its unique set of colours. With the presence of Nitrogen and Oxygen near the poles, red and green coloured light is scattered in the atmosphere. That’s how we can see green and red swirls and bands of light in the sky.
As you can understand how magical these lights are, people come to see these dancing lights from every corner of the world. Though sometimes Londoners can see the lights with a clear sky, the best place to see northern lights is extreme North or South. Some of the best places to see the Northern lights are:
Answer: The colours in northern lights come from the gases available there. The presence of Oxygen is the reason behind the green colour.
Answer: Though the Northern Lights are there every time and every season of the year, they are most visible around the equinoxes in March and September.
Answer: No. India is far from both the South and North pole.
Answer: People who experienced this event have stated that there is a faint clapping, rustling, or popping sound while Northern lights are active.
12 Geography Facts That Will Blow your Mind
7 Astounding Facts About Galaxy!
Other Related Sections
NCERT Solutions | Sample Papers | CBSE SYLLABUS| Calculators | Converters | Stories For Kids | Poems for Kids| Learning Concepts | Practice Worksheets | Formulas | Blogs | Parent Resource
Comments(0)
Admissions Open for 2025-26
Academics
Arts
Astronomy
Badminton
Basketball
CBSE Board
Chess
Child Learning
Children's Literature
Civics
Coding
Creativity
Cricket
Cycling
Dance
Days and Festival
English
Entertainment
Environmental Awareness
Famous Personalities
Featured Blogs
Football
Full Form
Geography
Health and Nutrition
Hindi
Hockey
Horticulture
Maths
Music
Parents Corner
Public Speaking
QnA
Recommended
Robotics
Science
Scientist and Their Inventions
Social Skills
Sports
Swimming
Taekwondo
Teacher's Corner
Theatre
50+ Rhyming Words for Kids in English [With Practice Worksheets]
List of 20+ Animals and Their Homes [Practice Worksheets + E-Book]
Tiger Dens and Homes: Understanding the Name of a Tiger's Habitat
Understanding Donkey Homes: From Stables to Shelters
Cat's House Name: Types Of Cat Homes, Fun Facts & More
Understanding Lion House Name: Pride, Territory & Den
Exploring the fox Den: Understanding the Home of a fox
Rat House Name: Types Of Rat Homes, Fun Fact & More
What is the Name of the Bird's Home?
What Is the Name of Dog's Home?
CBSE Schools In Popular Cities
CBSE Schools in Bangalore
CBSE Schools in Mumbai
CBSE Schools in Pune
CBSE Schools in Hyderabad
CBSE Schools in Chennai
CBSE Schools in Gurgaon
CBSE Schools in Kolkata
CBSE Schools in Indore
CBSE Schools in Sonipat
CBSE Schools in Delhi
CBSE Schools in Rohtak
CBSE Schools in Bhopal
CBSE Schools in Aurangabad
CBSE Schools in Jabalpur
CBSE Schools in Jaipur
CBSE Schools in Jodhpur
CBSE Schools in Nagpur
CBSE Schools in Ahmednagar
CBSE School In Tumkur
Speak Your Mind
Save my name, email and website in this browser for next time I comment