What determines the color of aurora?

Aurorae are caused by energetic particles bombarding the atmosphere.These particles excite atoms such as oxygen and nitrogen,resulting in amazing,colorful and wonderful display of lights.There are several reasons why green is the predominant colour but the colour of aurora depends on specific atom or molecule involved in it and also on the degree of Excitation. read more

The aurora is the name given to the bands of colored lights seen in the sky at the higher latitudes. The aurora borealis or Northern Lights are seen mainly near the Arctic Circle. The aurora australis or Southern Lights are seen in the southern hemisphere. The light you see comes from photons released by oxygen and nitrogen in the upper atmosphere. read more

The color of the aurora depends on the wavelength of the light emitted. This is determined by the specific atmospheric gas and its electrical state, and the energy of the particle that hits the atmospheric gas. The atmosphere consists mainly of nitrogen and oxygen, which emit the characteristic colors of their respective line spectra. read more