Northern Lights Overview

Phenomenon Description

• The northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, appear in the northern night sky as red, green, and blue patches, swirls, curtains, or streamers.
• Known in Latin as "northern dawn."

Folklore and Legends

• Norwegian folklore: Lights as dancers in the sky.
• Siberian tale: A fish god's flame helped fishermen at night.
• Finnish legend: Lights caused by foxes brushing snow into the sky.

Scientific Explanation

• Originates from the sun; particles emitted by the sun journey into space.
• These particles reach Earth and collide with atmospheric gases (oxygen and nitrogen), causing them to glow.
• The northern lights occur due to magnetic attraction at the North Pole; the Earth acts like a massive magnet.
• Southern lights, or aurora australis, occur in the southern regions but are less observed due to their location over oceans.

Additional Insights

• Both northern and southern lights appear simultaneously and are near mirror images of each other.
• In 1968, photographic evidence from planes revealed simultaneous appearances of auroras at both poles.

Quiz Questions

1. What is the main idea of this story?

   • c. Particles from the sun hit the atmosphere, causing light shows near the North and South Poles.

2. Where do the northern lights begin?

   • a. at the sun

3. What does folklore mean in this story?

   • a. stories and beliefs of a group

4. What causes the lights in the southern part of the world?

   • a. particles drawn by the magnetic pull of the South Pole

5. What might happen to the auroras if Earth's magnetic pull changed?

   • Speculative; could alter position or visibility.

6. Select the best word for each definition.

   • mirror images: reverse likenesses
   • emitted: given off
   • consists: is made of
   • legend: an old story
   • mysterious: hard to explain

7. Move the events into chronological order.

   1. The sun emits particles into space.
   2. Some particles travel toward Earth.
   3. The particles collide with gases in Earth's atmosphere.
   4. The gases glow.
   5. The light show appears near the North and South Poles.

8. Why do the lights seem to move in the sky?

   • Due to shifting patterns in atmospheric and magnetic dynamics.

9. Summary of Myths

   • Different cultures explained the northern lights through various myths: Finnish people spoke of foxes, Norwegians saw dancers, and Siberians believed in a fish god's flame.