What causes northern lights alaska?

Aurora borealis', the lights of the northern hemisphere, means 'dawn of the north'. 'Aurora australis' means 'dawn of the south'. In Roman myths, Aurora was the goddess of the dawn.par Many cultural groups have legends about the lights. read more

At the center of our solar system lies the sun, the yellow star that sustains life on our planet. read more

Bottom line: When charged particles from the sun strike atoms in Earth’s atmosphere, they cause electrons in the atoms to move to a higher-energy state. When the electrons drop back to a lower energy state, they release a photon: light. This process creates the beautiful aurora, or northern lights. read more

Northern Lights can be seen in the northern or southern hemisphere, in an irregularly shaped oval centred over each magnetic pole. The lights are known as 'Aurora borealis' in the north and 'Aurora australis' in the south. read more

The northern and southern lights are a dazzling spectacle for skywatchers lucky enough to see them, but fascinating science is behind what causes these impressive light shows. The northern and southern lights are a dazzling spectacle for skywatchers lucky enough to see them, but fascinating science is behind what causes these impressive light shows. read more