Final answer:
The aurora is a natural light display caused by the interaction of particles from the solar wind with Earth's atmosphere near the magnetic poles. Charged particles collide with atmospheric atoms, leading to the emission of light in various colors. This phenomenon includes the Aurora Borealis in the Northern Hemisphere and the Aurora Australis in the Southern Hemisphere.
Step-by-step explanation:
Why do Auroras Occur?
The beautiful display of green and pink lights near the Earth's magnetic poles, known as the aurora, occurs due to interactions between charged particles from the solar wind and the Earth's atmosphere. These charged particles, mainly electrons and protons from the sun, enter Earth's magnetosphere and spiral along the magnetic field lines towards the magnetic poles. Upon colliding with particles in our atmosphere, they can excite the atoms and molecules, causing them to radiate light. This process creates the vivid colors typical of the Aurora Borealis (or northern lights) in the Northern Hemisphere and the Aurora Australis (or southern lights) in the Southern Hemisphere.
At higher altitudes near the poles, Earth's magnetic field lines funnel these charged particles into the atmosphere. When these particles strike gases like nitrogen and oxygen, they energize these atoms, which then release energy in the form of light as they return to their ground state. The different gases release different colors of light; for example, oxygen typically emits green and red light, while nitrogen can emit blue light. This interaction leads to the spectacular natural light show that illuminates the polar sky.