Why the northern lights happen
Chapter 1
The solar engine
View / Create
Answer
Chapter 2
Earth's magnetic shield
View / Create
Answer
Chapter 3
The atmospheric neon sign
View / Create
Answer
Chapter 4
Global legends and sister lights
View / Create
Answer
YOUR GOAL
Master of Why the northern lights happen
Ch 3 · The atmospheric neon sign
teacher The Atmospheric Neon Sign
When the solar wind collides up high, Gases glow like neon in the sky.
Fun Fact
Cosmic neon: The northern lights are essentially a massive, planet-sized neon sign powered by the Sun.
Glossary
excitation (noun)
The transition of a physical system to a state of higher energy. In the thermosphere, solar particles cause oxygen excitation, creating the green glow seen above polar circles.
The transition of a physical system to a state of higher energy. In the thermosphere, solar particles cause oxygen excitation, creating the green glow seen above polar circles.
Quiz
What everyday human invention glows using the exact same scientific principle as the auroras?
Quiz
What physical process causes the gases in Earth's atmosphere to glow during an aurora?
Quiz
What color is produced when solar particles collide with oxygen at very high altitudes above 250 kilometers?
Quiz
Which gas produces blue and purple colors at lower altitudes during intense auroras?