• Question: What cases the northern lights

    Asked by 897curm28 to Matthew, K, Hazel, Fiona, Daniel on 12 Mar 2018.
    • Photo: Fiona Macfarlane

      Fiona Macfarlane answered on 12 Mar 2018:

      When there is a solar flare, the particles from this can enter the earths magnetic shield (magnetosphere) and interact with particles in the atmosphere. These interactions give off little bursts of light, which is what forms the northern lights.

    • Photo: K Sasitharan

      K Sasitharan answered on 13 Mar 2018:

      The northern lights are a clear example of the earth’s magnetic field interacting with the charged particles from the sun. They occur when protons and electrons stream out of the sun and slam into earth’s magnetic field. They move in spirals.

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