article_snippet.sent: When high-energy electrons and ions from the sun hit Earth’s upper atmosphere, high-energy electrons and ions from the sun can excite atoms and create fantastic colours - which we see on the ground as auroras.
article_snippet.sent: There are two types of auroras on Earth - the Aurora Borealis in the Northern Hemisphere, known as the Northern Lights, and the Aurora Australis in the Southern Hemisphere, known as the Southern Lights.
article_snippet.sent: Auroras occur when highly charged electrons from the solar wind collide with atoms of oxygen and nitrogen in the earth's atmosphere at altitudes from 20 to 200 miles (32 to 320km) above the planet’s surface.
article_snippet.sent: Auroral displays appear in many colours: red, yellow, green, blue, and violet.
article_snippet.sent: The color of the aurora depends on which atom is struck, and the altitude of the meeting.
article_snippet.sent: ‘The paths of the electrons would trace out the arcing field lines of Earth’s magnetic field, illustrating how the electrons bend and snap during the intense geomagnetic activity caused by solar storms.
article_snippet.sent: As the electrons descend into the Earth’s atmosphere, some of the electrons would strike atmospheric molecules, producing visible aurora-like emission.
article_snippet.sent: There are two types of auroras on Earth - the Aurora Borealis in the Northern Hemisphere, known as the Northern Lights, and the Aurora Australis in the Southern Hemisphere, known as the Southern Lights.
article_snippet.sent: Shown is the Aurora Borealis above the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in Iceland .
article_snippet.sent: the Aurora Borealis above the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in Iceland would not be the first experiment with Earth’s atmosphere, though.