RP152 The Northern Lights

RP152 The Northern Lights

The beautiful northern lights sweep across the northern skies. Sometimes they look like blue or green smoke. Sometimes they look like a vast white scarf shaken out between the stars. They appear mysterious, as if from another world, and they have been inspiring mankind for centuries.

The Cree people called them the “Dance of the Spirits.” Some ancient Norse thought the lights were reflections off the shield of fallen ancient soldiers going to their paradise. Others thought they were oceans surrounded by fire. The red lights can also look like a breath of fire from a dragon. In fact, they may be a source of dragon myths. Red lights were often thought to predict wars. Some cultures hide when the northern lights are in the sky; others watch them with respect. Many Asian cultures believe children born under northern lights will be lucky, but some European cultures believed the opposite.

These mysterious lights that inspire our imaginations really do come from another world—they come from the sun. The northern lights—or “aurora borealis” their scientific name—result from solar wind connecting with particles high in Earth's atmosphere. This connection causes the particles to give off different substances. When there are storms on the sun, we see more auroras, because there's more solar wind. The different colors of the auroras are a result of different particles releasing different substances. All this activity can cause problems for radios and other electronic tools, though it creates unbelievable art in the sky.

The northern lights are still a source of inspiration for human beings. Photographers, painters, writers—they all try to capture the awe that these lights create. However, these lights are difficult to pin down on paper. You may just have to see them for yourself.