Consider the following statements:1. An Aurora is a display of light i...
- An Aurora is a display of light in the sky predominantly seen in the high latitude regions (Arctic and Antarctic). It is also known as a Polar light.
- They commonly occur at high northern and southern latitudes, less frequent at mid-latitudes, and seldom seen near the equator. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
- While usually a milky greenish color, auroras can also show red, blue, violet, pink, and white. These colors appear in a variety of continuously changing shapes.
- Auroras are not just something that happens on Earth. If a planet has an atmosphere and magnetic field, they probably have auroras.
- Auroras are caused when charged particles ejected from the Sun’s surface - called the solar wind - enter the Earth’s atmosphere. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
- The typical aurora is caused by collisions between charged particles from space with the oxygen and nitrogen in Earth’s upper atmosphere.
- The electrons - which come from the Earth’s magnetosphere, the region of space controlled by Earth’s magnetic field - transfer their energy to the oxygen and nitrogen atoms and molecules, making them “excited”.
- When a large number of electrons come from the magnetosphere to bombard the atmosphere, the oxygen and nitrogen can emit enough light for the eye to detect, giving us beautiful auroral displays.
- In the northern part of our globe, the polar lights are called aurora borealis or Northern Lights, and are seen from the US (Alaska), Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
- In the south, they are called aurora australis or southern lights, and are visible from high latitudes in Antarctica, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand and Australia.
Consider the following statements:1. An Aurora is a display of light i...
Interact with the Earth's magnetic field.3. The colors of auroras are primarily green and red, although other colors such as purple and blue can also be seen.4. The phenomenon of auroras is also known as the Northern Lights.
Which of these statements are true?
1. An Aurora is a display of light in the sky only seen in the Northern Hemisphere of Earth.
True. Auroras are primarily seen in the Northern Hemisphere, although they can also be observed in the Southern Hemisphere, where they are known as the Southern Lights.
2. Auroras are caused when charged particles ejected from the Sun interact with the Earth's magnetic field.
True. This is the main cause of auroras. Charged particles, mainly electrons and protons, are accelerated towards the Earth by the Sun's solar wind. When these particles collide with atoms and molecules in the Earth's atmosphere, they emit light and create the auroral display.
3. The colors of auroras are primarily green and red, although other colors such as purple and blue can also be seen.
True. The most common colors of auroras are green and red, which are caused by interactions with oxygen atoms in the Earth's atmosphere. However, depending on the altitude and the type of atoms and molecules involved, auroras can also display colors like purple, blue, yellow, and even white.
4. The phenomenon of auroras is also known as the Northern Lights.
True. The term "Northern Lights" is commonly used to refer to the auroral displays seen in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, they are known as the Southern Lights.