Aurora (red dawn light) Borealis (North), Polar Lights or the Northern Lights are the natural astronomical phenomena. They are luminous arches, curtains or shafts of colored light visible in the night sky in the Northern region of the earth. They are found in the northern and southern hemispheres. They occur at higher latitudes (3° to 6° latitude) close to the poles in Canada, Antarctica, Norway, and Alaska. Northern lights are called aurora borealis and southern lights are called aurora australis. They have discharged particles from the sun that passes through the magnetic shield of earth and create light when they mix with atoms and molecules of oxygen and nitrogen gases while entering the earth’s atmosphere.

The source of aurora is from the surface of the sun where the solar activities emit high energy ions particles. The emission of particles is called coronal mass ejection (CME). The particles travel 93 million miles through space. These gases reach the earth in 2-3 days and collide with the magnetic field of the earth generating a flow of energetic charged. These particles are directed into the earth’s upper atmosphere i.e. thermosphere where they become stronger and collide with oxygen and nitrogen producing dazzling aurora light. Aurora display includes curtains, rippling, traveling pulse or glows. Their colors also vary with altitude. Red, blue and violet color occurs below 60 miles, green color between 60-150 miles and ruby red appears above 150 miles. Aurora can damage the electrical power grid and communicating satellites operating in the space.