Aurora Borealis
NOTE: Once again, I'm just posting another one of my school compositions. The assignment was to write a 4-6 page essay on a topic that interests us. I chose aurora borealis. Doubt anyone will read this because it's so long, but oh well. =)
ALSO, I posted this in the "World news" category because, technically, it is taking place in the world, and the blog guidelines state: "This section is perfect to talk about any events occurring in the world that you think other users would like to read about."
Anyways, onto the composition.
Imagine looking up in the night sky and seeing the stars twinkling brightly. Now, imagine seeing a beautiful greenish glow that you cannot describe by using words and giving this spectacular sight enough glorification. The stars, the beautiful glow, and the dark night sky all work together to create a stunning display that one simply cannot describe. The sun, the Earth’s atmosphere, and the solar wind all work together to form this sight, known as an aurora.
Definition of Aurora Borealis
Let us analyze the term aurora borealis. The word “aurora” means: “a luminous phenomenon that consists of streamers of light appearing in the upper atmosphere of a planet’s magnetic polar regions.” The word “borealis” means: “pertaining to the north.” So, if we put the terms together, we come up with a band of glowing lights that appear in the upper atmosphere in northern parts of the world. The words “aurora” and “borealis” actually originate from the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek term “borealis,” which means the north wind.
A brief, easy-to-understand definition of aurora borealis is a bright, colorful glow that appears in the night sky, most common at or near the North Pole.
What Causes It
One of the major causes of aurora borealis is the sun. Earth’s magnetic poles attract particles from the sun that are electrically charged. These particles join together and form streams, which are known as the solar wind. The sun is always producing the solar wind, but when sunspots on the sun become their largest, the solar wind is at its strongest. Therefore, if it were not for the sun, there would be no solar wind.
The combination of particles from the sun and gases from the Solar System also play an important role in the creation of aurora borealis. When the particles from sunspots and solar flames are electrically charged and they clash with gases found in the upper atmosphere, they energize these gases and make them glow. This glowing sensation is aurora borealis.
Varied Appearances of Aurora Borealis
The factors effecting the appearance of aurora borealis are the conditions of the atmosphere, which includes the density and structure of it, the altitude at which the aurora occurs, and the gases that are involved. Usually, auroras are white with a green tint. This is because of the dominating atomic oxygen found in the air in the atmosphere. Although most auroras appear to be greenish, they can also appear to be dark red or yellow. This really depends on the altitude at which the aurora occurs.
Auroras take the shape of curtains. This happens because of the confinement the magnetic field puts on the moving auroral electrons.
Where Aurora Borealis Usually Occurs
Aurora borealis, or the northern lights, usually occurs high in the atmosphere at or near the North Pole. Although aurora borealis usually occurs at the North Pole, sometimes it can be observed in other northern areas, such as Alaska.
If there is a strong magnetic storm, the area known as the auroral zone will be enlarged temporarily and auroras may occur in other areas. Magnetic storms occur most often during the peak of the sunspot cycle, which lasts eleven years.
The Auroral Zone
As mentioned previously, there is an area on Earth that is referred to as the auroral zone. After many years of research, scientists discovered that auroras usually occur in this zone. It is an area on Earth positioned around the magnetic pole that has a ring-shape and an approximate radius of 2,500 kilometers.
When Aurora Borealis Usually Occurs
As a rule, aurora borealis occurs approximately twenty-five times per year, usually in the spring and fall and in the months of March, April, September, and October. This is because, at these times, Earth is as close as it gets to directly facing areas of the sun containing large sunspots.
An exception to this generalization is that some auroras occur in the winter. It depends on the area, the condition of the atmosphere, and the location of the solar wind.
Aurora borealis is a very interesting topic to learn about. Auroras in general are amazing sights that deserve attention and recognition. Auroras are fun to research, fun to learn about, and, of course, it is always fun to share the information you learned with others so they can enjoy the information as well.
NOTE: Aurora borealis is the term used to describe an aurora that occurs in the Northern Hemisphere while the term aurora australis defines an aurora that occurs in the Southern Hemisphere. I chose to research aurora borealis to be as precise as possible with one specific topic. There is really no difference between aurora borealis and aurora australis, except for the fact that aurora borealis occurs in northern areas while aurora australis occurs in southern parts of the world.
Pictures of Aurora Borealis
A beautiful display of aurora borealis over Bear Lake, located in Alaska.
Another magnificent presentation of aurora borealis. This display occurred in Canada, approximately 36,000 feet in the air.
A beautiful red, white, and green aurora that took place in Fairbanks, Alaska.
This picture gives you an idea of what aurora borealis looks like from the viewpoint of a satellite hovering over Earth. You can see how the green glow drifts over Earth.
This is yet another occurrence of aurora borealis in Alaska. This demonstration is a light blue color with a mixture of purple and a light tint of green is visible.
Another Alaskan display, this picture reveals what a light blue and white aurora looks like.
The final photo of this quaint appearance displays a swirl of different colors that mix together to create a beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime sight.
Sources
“The Northern and Southern Lights.” Encyclopedia Britannica 2005 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD. 2005.
“Aurora (astronomy).” Wikipedia. 06 June 2007. 06 June 2007. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_borealis>
Lummerzheim, Dirk. “Frequently Asked Questions about Aurora and Answers.” Geophysical Institute. 30 May 2007. 06 June 2007. <http://odin.gi.alaska.edu/FAQ>
“AlaskaTrekker Photo Gallery.” 2007. 07 June 2007. <http://www.alaskatrekker.com/alaskaphotos.htm>
ALSO, I posted this in the "World news" category because, technically, it is taking place in the world, and the blog guidelines state: "This section is perfect to talk about any events occurring in the world that you think other users would like to read about."
Anyways, onto the composition.
Imagine looking up in the night sky and seeing the stars twinkling brightly. Now, imagine seeing a beautiful greenish glow that you cannot describe by using words and giving this spectacular sight enough glorification. The stars, the beautiful glow, and the dark night sky all work together to create a stunning display that one simply cannot describe. The sun, the Earth’s atmosphere, and the solar wind all work together to form this sight, known as an aurora.
Definition of Aurora Borealis
Let us analyze the term aurora borealis. The word “aurora” means: “a luminous phenomenon that consists of streamers of light appearing in the upper atmosphere of a planet’s magnetic polar regions.” The word “borealis” means: “pertaining to the north.” So, if we put the terms together, we come up with a band of glowing lights that appear in the upper atmosphere in northern parts of the world. The words “aurora” and “borealis” actually originate from the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek term “borealis,” which means the north wind.
A brief, easy-to-understand definition of aurora borealis is a bright, colorful glow that appears in the night sky, most common at or near the North Pole.
What Causes It
One of the major causes of aurora borealis is the sun. Earth’s magnetic poles attract particles from the sun that are electrically charged. These particles join together and form streams, which are known as the solar wind. The sun is always producing the solar wind, but when sunspots on the sun become their largest, the solar wind is at its strongest. Therefore, if it were not for the sun, there would be no solar wind.
The combination of particles from the sun and gases from the Solar System also play an important role in the creation of aurora borealis. When the particles from sunspots and solar flames are electrically charged and they clash with gases found in the upper atmosphere, they energize these gases and make them glow. This glowing sensation is aurora borealis.
Varied Appearances of Aurora Borealis
The factors effecting the appearance of aurora borealis are the conditions of the atmosphere, which includes the density and structure of it, the altitude at which the aurora occurs, and the gases that are involved. Usually, auroras are white with a green tint. This is because of the dominating atomic oxygen found in the air in the atmosphere. Although most auroras appear to be greenish, they can also appear to be dark red or yellow. This really depends on the altitude at which the aurora occurs.
Auroras take the shape of curtains. This happens because of the confinement the magnetic field puts on the moving auroral electrons.
Where Aurora Borealis Usually Occurs
Aurora borealis, or the northern lights, usually occurs high in the atmosphere at or near the North Pole. Although aurora borealis usually occurs at the North Pole, sometimes it can be observed in other northern areas, such as Alaska.
If there is a strong magnetic storm, the area known as the auroral zone will be enlarged temporarily and auroras may occur in other areas. Magnetic storms occur most often during the peak of the sunspot cycle, which lasts eleven years.
The Auroral Zone
As mentioned previously, there is an area on Earth that is referred to as the auroral zone. After many years of research, scientists discovered that auroras usually occur in this zone. It is an area on Earth positioned around the magnetic pole that has a ring-shape and an approximate radius of 2,500 kilometers.
When Aurora Borealis Usually Occurs
As a rule, aurora borealis occurs approximately twenty-five times per year, usually in the spring and fall and in the months of March, April, September, and October. This is because, at these times, Earth is as close as it gets to directly facing areas of the sun containing large sunspots.
An exception to this generalization is that some auroras occur in the winter. It depends on the area, the condition of the atmosphere, and the location of the solar wind.
Aurora borealis is a very interesting topic to learn about. Auroras in general are amazing sights that deserve attention and recognition. Auroras are fun to research, fun to learn about, and, of course, it is always fun to share the information you learned with others so they can enjoy the information as well.
NOTE: Aurora borealis is the term used to describe an aurora that occurs in the Northern Hemisphere while the term aurora australis defines an aurora that occurs in the Southern Hemisphere. I chose to research aurora borealis to be as precise as possible with one specific topic. There is really no difference between aurora borealis and aurora australis, except for the fact that aurora borealis occurs in northern areas while aurora australis occurs in southern parts of the world.
Pictures of Aurora Borealis
A beautiful display of aurora borealis over Bear Lake, located in Alaska.
Another magnificent presentation of aurora borealis. This display occurred in Canada, approximately 36,000 feet in the air.
A beautiful red, white, and green aurora that took place in Fairbanks, Alaska.
This picture gives you an idea of what aurora borealis looks like from the viewpoint of a satellite hovering over Earth. You can see how the green glow drifts over Earth.
This is yet another occurrence of aurora borealis in Alaska. This demonstration is a light blue color with a mixture of purple and a light tint of green is visible.
Another Alaskan display, this picture reveals what a light blue and white aurora looks like.
The final photo of this quaint appearance displays a swirl of different colors that mix together to create a beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime sight.
Sources
“The Northern and Southern Lights.” Encyclopedia Britannica 2005 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD. 2005.
“Aurora (astronomy).” Wikipedia. 06 June 2007. 06 June 2007. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_borealis>
Lummerzheim, Dirk. “Frequently Asked Questions about Aurora and Answers.” Geophysical Institute. 30 May 2007. 06 June 2007. <http://odin.gi.alaska.edu/FAQ>
“AlaskaTrekker Photo Gallery.” 2007. 07 June 2007. <http://www.alaskatrekker.com/alaskaphotos.htm>
I saw the Aurora Borealis maybe about 5 times. (:
We get them quite often in Northern Ontario. But we're so lame we just call them the Northern Lights. :]
moody fallon, June 15th, 2007 at 01:44:26am
It's a good paper and an excellent topic to write on. Aurora Borealis are so beautiful. We had one very faint one here once... which is very rare. I got to see it. It was red and oh so beautiful.
I need to go to Alaska. :D
wait_what, June 15th, 2007 at 12:02:07am
Thank you for reading! =]
Letterbombx723, June 14th, 2007 at 11:09:44pm
This is so interesting!
Thanks for posting 8)
What a beautiful site.
Miley Cyrus, June 14th, 2007 at 11:07:28pm