Seeing the Northern or Southern Lights is an awe-inspiring experience, but do you know the science behind their beauty? This video from Per Byhring and the physics department at the University of Oslo explains how particles originating from deep inside the core of the Sun creates aurorae in the atmosphere of Earth.
The video takes a look at how cloud of electrically charged particles emanate from the Sun, and what happens when this plasma reaches the Earth and interacts with the planet’s magnetic field, which creates fantastic light shows in the extreme northern and southern latitudes.
Recent Posts
ALMA Detects Hallmark “Wiggle” of Gravitational Instability in Planet-Forming Disk
According to Nebula Theory, stars and their systems of planets form when a massive cloud…
Largest Dark Matter Detector is Narrowing Down Dark Matter Candidate
In 2012, two previous dark matter detection experiments—the Large Underground Xenon (LUX) and ZonEd Proportional…
Could Comets have Delivered the Building Blocks of Life to “Ocean Worlds” like Europa, Enceladus, and Titan too?
Throughout Earth's history, the planet's surface has been regularly impacted by comets, meteors, and the…
There’s More Water Inside Planets Than We Thought
When you walk across your lawn or down the street, you move on the surface…
Why Did Copernicus Reject Geocentrism?
Popular science history paints a picture of the Greek geocentric model dominating astronomical thought beginning…
China Will Launch its Mars Sample Return Mission in 2028
While NASA's Mars Sample Return mission has experienced a setback, China is still moving forward…