Well if you’re a parent then you have to make sure to get the kids out tonight to see the northern lights! Tonight is supposed to be the best opportunity and this is TRULY a once in a lifetime event for many people! Don’t miss it and be sure your kids get a chance to understand this GREAT educational event. Check out the map above for the best viewing possible!
Here’s a cut and paste from Astronomy for Kids Online .com to explain the Northern Lights. TONIGHT is the best night! Sat 4/13/13
The northern lights are a colorful undulating glow that can be seen in thenight sky, usually in the north polar region. These lights are also called the “aurora borealis“, which is Latin for “northern dawn”. This phenomenon also occurs in the southern hemisphere. The lights near the south pole are called the “aurora austrailis”.
What causes the northern lights anyway?
When electrically charged particles from the Sun collide with the Earth’s upper atmosphere, they cause the atmospheric atoms and ions to radiate different colors and bands of light.
What do the aurora borealis look like?
If you look at the picture above, you see that the “aurora borealis” and “aurora austrailis” usually look like a diffuse glow of different colors or they can sometimes have a curtain-like appearance that extend out in an east-west direction. Sometimes, they form whispy arcs and other times they do a dance across the sky. The auroras are most likely shaped like the Earth’smagnetic field.
The Earth’s magnetic field
Our planet is like a gigantic magnet, because the Earth’s magnetic field surrounds the entire planet and comes together in a funnel shape near the north and south poles. The Earth’s magnetic field, called the magnetosphere, protects our planet from the Sun’s radiation, this radiation is called the solar wind.
What is the source of the aurora?
The energy source of these dazzling lights in the night sky is the solarwind. The solar wind is a plasma sream of electrically charged particles that continuously flow out from the Sun.The particles from the solar wind get trapped and create the spectacle called the “aurora borealis”.
Are you living a frugal life? I’m Maggie and I’m a frugal living fun expert. I help families have fun and live a frugal life. Be sure to “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Pinterest and subscribe to my YouTube Chanel.
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