Did you know that the northern lights can be seen at all times of the year?This is true because the magnetic poles of the Earth are constantly reflecting solar flares to the atmosphere, thus causing the lights to occur. You can witness such marvelous displays if you are at the right spot at the right time!However, the auroras are not visible in broad daylight. They make their appearance subtle, but they light up the night like a fireball when they shine. As aurora borealis have been captivating humans for thousands of years, a lack of scientific research led the early men to associate these lights with Gods. Hence, various mythological documentations refer to northern lights as a supernatural phenomenon triggered by God’s work. However, exhaustive research on the northern lights has led scientists to conclude that it is a natural phenomenon wherein the solar particles released from the Sun reach the atmosphere of the Earth and collide with gas molecules (oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen) to cause the lights to occur. If you have been chasing the northern lights for a while now, it is time you learn about some of the best spots on Earth that will give you the perfect experience of witnessing this marvel!Keep reading to know interesting facts about the beautiful northern lights! If you like reading this article, then don’t forget to check out the 1776 solar eclipse and creepy space facts that will definitely capture your attention.Fun Facts About The Northern LightsOne of the many astronomical phenomena is the northern lights that have fascinated people since they were first discovered. Its counterpart, the southern lights, has also captivated the human eye with its spectacular displays of colorful lights in the night sky. The formal names of the northern and southern lights are Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis, respectively. Although incredibly enthralling and magical, this natural phenomenon can be violent and severely damage the electrical power grid and satellites operating in space.The northern lights are called so because they are visible in the northern hemisphere while the southern lights are in the southern hemisphere. Simply put, the northern lights are projections or light displays visible at night. The formal name of the northern lights, Aurora Borealis, was first coined by Pierre Gassendi and Galileo Galilei after they witnessed the light show on September 12, 1621. However, it has been reported that such spectacular light shows were described 1000 years ago by ancient humans on cave walls. Accounts of the occurrence of the northern lights have been traced back to the Babylonian era (1895 BC-539 BC), whereby the official astronomers of King Nebuchadnezzar II (568/567 BC) had made accounts of the northern lights on a clay tablet.Currently, the theory regarding the science behind the occurrence of an aurora borealis was postulated by Norwegian Kristian Birkeland in June 1896 as solar particles that enter the Earth’s magnetic field and cause the display of lights in the upper atmosphere of the Earth. Although the height of these lights has been measured to occur up to 49.70-74.56 mi (80-120 km), much higher displays have been recorded that rose to nearly 620 mi (997.8 km) from the Earth’s surface. The frequency at which the auroras will appear depends on the intensity of solar sunspot activity; higher solar activity will generate frequent light displays. It also enhances its visibility to a great extent. Several exceptional aurora forecasts have gained extreme media attention, such as the auroral storms of August and September 1859, February 11, 1958, when the lights spread out across 1250 mi (2011.68 km) from Oregon to New Hampshire. On March 13, 1989, the display could be seen in Europe, North America, and Cuba, when the sky was covered in vivid red light.Scientific Facts About Northern LightsEver since the northern lights were discovered, the fascination for the same has known no bound. The ancient humans were unaware of the cause or origin of these lights, and hence, they associated it with the work of God. Nonetheless, the first scientific account of the northern lights was made by Aristotle in the 4th century BC. He claimed that the lights were fire or flames of burning gas. Many years down the line, the origin of these lights was scientifically explained in a Norwegian text called ‘Konungs skuggsjá’ or ‘The King’s Mirror.’ This educational text suggested that the Earth’s oceans reflected these lights. Other theories suggest that the sunlight, reflected from below the horizon, lit up the sky with mysterious lights. Let us go through some of the scientific theories to gain more significant insights into the origin of the aurora borealis.With the advancement of scientific tools and techniques for studying natural phenomena, scientists have reached conclusions that provide important details about the cause of the origin of the aurora borealis. One such Swedish scientist, Sun Arnelius, posited that ice particles reflected solar rays into the Earth’s atmosphere, causing a beautiful array of lights.Eight years later, an amazing aurora borealis seen in Europe in 1716 was thoroughly studied and described by Sir Edmund Halley as the Sun’s rays parallel to and significantly affected by the Earth’s magnetic field. Later in the 19th century, the Earth’s magnetic field was recorded, indicating that the auroral oval encircled the geographical poles just like a ring. Sophus Tromholt, a Danish astrophysicist, carried out further research and revealed that this ring mainly occurred around the North pole.A 20th-century Norwegian physicist, Kristian Birkeland, had conducted an experiment on the Earth’s magnetic field, which provided the study of northern lights with some groundbreaking information. His theory suggested that the aurora occurs as the Earth’s magnetic fields guide the parallel lines of the sunbeam shot towards the Earth near the magnetic poles.Currently, scientific evidence proves that solar flares that travel at a speed of 7,000,000 mph (11,265,408 kph) are the source of northern lights. The solar flares contain gas particles that collide against each other on the Sun’s surface to release quantifiable matter and electromagnetic radiation. Some of these charged particles from the Sun’s atmosphere are released into space, while some of them enter the Earth’s upper atmosphere and collide with nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. The collision causes the charged particles to produce and release light into the atmosphere. The color of the light is determined by the various gas molecules that collide against each other. For instance, oxygen and nitrogen molecules produce red or greenish-yellow and blue light. These gas molecules also produce ultraviolet light; however, it is not visible to the naked eye.A band of aurora borealis generally occurs inside the auroral zone. At times, multiple bands of northern lights occur in a particular area, known as the auroral breakup, which rapidly brightens and changes the form of the aurora. Some people have claimed that the northern lights are accompanied by noises that resemble a thunderstorm. The Aurora Zone explained that these noises occur when an interaction occurs between the charged particles and the Earth’s magnetic field. Aurora borealis is a common phenomenon throughout the solar system, including Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Mars, and Jupiter.Mythological Facts About Northern LightsAlthough nobody is sure how old the northern lights are, research related to the same has revealed that these displays may date back to approximately 30,000 BC. The cave paintings of the Cro-Magnon men were the very first account of the occurrence of the northern lights. Ancient men, greatly influenced by religion, associated the northern lights (aurora borealis) with their gods. The lack of scientific evidence and theories until the 20th century was the reason behind holding such beliefs. Let us learn about some of the famous mythological denotations the northern lights held in ancient times.The term ‘Aurora Borealis’ was first coined by two famous philosophers, Pierre Gassendi and Galileo Galilei, which translates to ‘dawn of the north’ because these displays are frequently seen in the north pole. They borrowed the words from Roman and Greek mythologies, ‘Aurora,’ the Roman Goddess of dawn, and ‘Boreas,’ the Greek God of the north wind. The people of Finland accounted the northern lights as ‘revontulet’ in the ancient Finnish folklore, ‘fox fires’ being the literal translation of the word. They believed that the northern lights were caused by the foxes that sent snow into the sky with a sweep of their tails. The old Norse text, the Konungs skuggsjá, referred to the northern lights as ’norðrljós’ and suggested that the Earth was flat and surrounded by oceans. Bands of fire encircled the oceans that shot up light into the sky. The ancient French belief suggested that the northern lights were armies in the night sky. This was recorded in The Annals of Saint Bertin, a historical text of ancient France. The ancient fishermen of Scandinavia believed these dancing lights to be a sign of good luck. They thought that a large herring shoal reflected light off its body which caused the beautiful displays in the sky. ‘Sillblixt,’ which means ‘herring fish,’ was the name assigned to the northern lights by these men because they believed that it was a sign that the fishing season would flourish that year. In one of their legends, the Inuits of North America suggested that the aurora was the result of ‘spirits playing ball with a walrus head.’ Popular Viking myth held the belief that the supernatural maidens or the Valkyrie, who brought the deceased warriors into the afterlife, wore armors that reflected light into space, and hence, caused the spectacular aurora. The people of Estonia believed that the lights depicted heavenly guests being brought by horses inside carriages to a gorgeous wedding!Facts About Countries Where You Can See ThemScientific evidence related to the aurora displays suggests that they can be viewed from various locations of the world. You can witness these dancing lights every evening, given that you are at the right spot at the right time. This is because Earth’s magnetic field is constantly reflecting charged particles present in sunbeams to Earth’s atmosphere, causing the lights to appear. The aurora displays have been attracting tourism in the northern and the southern hemisphere for a very long time. If witnessing the awe-striking aurora displays is on your bucket list, here is a list of the best destination spots that you can visit!The best and the most reliable spot to witness the aurora borealis is Fairbanks in Alaska. This place is located just below the Arctic circle, promising the most beautiful sight of the display. November to January is a great time to visit Fairbanks as the nights are much longer than days in winter, which will provide ample time for the display to unfurl to the fullest. The next in line is the Swedish lands where the famous Abisko and the Aurora Sky Station are located. There is a 100% chance that the displays can be seen here every evening because the cloud coverage in the Abisko village is one of the lowest. The Scandinavian countries, especially Norway, are one of the best-known places to witness the dancing lights. You can view the show from various parts of the country and experience the lights from different angles. One of the most famous streets, Parkgata, is densely populated by tourists all around the year for viewing the captivating displays. If you wish to experience the marvel of these dancing lights from inside glass igloos and luxury suites to mask the cold, Finland would be the choice for you. However, occurrences of the displays are unpredictable and cannot be witnessed except on clear nights.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 167 illuminating northern lights facts that will surprise you, then why not take a look at space rocks or spheres of Earth?
Did you know that the northern lights can be seen at all times of the year?
