Aurora
Sean R.
How they form and how did they get their name?
They are formed by intense space weather. Electrically charge space particles smash in Earth's atmospheric gases. Each collision releases photons and the photons release light.
Got the name aurora after Roman goddess of Dawn. Got the name borealis from the Roman god of the north wind.
Colors
Depending on how high the aurora is, depends on which colors you will see. The common color of the auroras are green. Up high in the sky they can be red or purple. If it is low you will see the color blue, that is usually seen around 60 miles high. Also the auroras occur above the Earth from 60-250 miles. Auroras appear as curtains in the sky.
Facts
The auroras typically are seen at the north and south poles. The auroras can cause power disruptions in satellite communication and in radio. Jupiter and Saturn have the same types of auroras we do. It has been said that on rare occasions you can hear the auroras. Some have said sounds like a clap or a crackling type sound.
Aurora Borealis Explained
Sources
Heelis, Roderick A. "World Book Online Reference Center | Online Reference Book| Online Encyclopedia." World Book. 2014 World Book, Inc., 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.
"What Is the Aurora Borealis? Photos : DNews." DNews. Discovery Communications, LLC, 2014. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
picture 1: http://digital-photography-school.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/aurora-borealis-4.jpg
picture 2:
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02220/red-streaks_2220834k.jpg
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