Northern Lights ( Auroras Borealis)

A spectacular explosion of colors has been lighting up the night sky. You don't have to be an astronomer to see this, either.

The Northern Lights, also known as auroras borealis, have been flooding the nighttime with an array of greens, pinks, and blues, that can be seen with the naked eye, over a vast area of the United States and areas to the north.

They're caused by the interaction of particles from the sun with the Earth's atmosphere. The particles are drawn towards the north magnetic pole, making the show more visible and impressive in northern areas.

CME's (coronal mass ejections) are responsible for this latest light show, as they were hurled in Earth's direction last weekend, as part of the sun's latest erruption cycle, which has been getting "pretty mean."

Posted: Tuesday 9th November 2004, 11:45 AM

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