The sun has gone crazy the last few days, with very powerful magnetic storms. I read in the newspapers that this has caused problems for the air traffic, in particular near the poles.
And it creates northern light.
The magnetic storms send bursts of electrically charged particles into space. When the particles come close to the the Earth, they follow the magnetic field towards the north and south poles. That's why you need to be far north (or far south) to see the norther (or southern) light.
It's not very often we see strong northern light as far south as our town (at 63 degrees north). It's a spectacular view, but it's just some cool physics in action >:)
(The picture is from our local newspaper. It shows the northern light flashing over the town.)
I would really like to see that for real one day.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see them at least once.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos. My hub was in Norway a few years back and got to see those lights. He said it's beyond breathtaking. I'd love to have that experience. (Hmm, am I whining?)
ReplyDeleteAwesome picture! I would like to see that in person someday. I've never seen the northern lights, although on a tourist-y trip through Europe I was amazed to see daylight as late as 10pm in the Netherlands.
ReplyDeleteThere still is much to see on this Earth ...
When I lived in Colorado and again in Idaho saw this phenomena more than once. Absolutely breathtaking.
ReplyDeleteNow I live on an island in the Caribbean - no Northern Lights, but a different kind of breathtaking.
I would love to see the Northern lights! How fabulous. No such lights down in Texas. Are the lights predictable, as far as when they appear?
ReplyDeleteAlex: Go up to Alaska, and you will see it
ReplyDeleteellen: In the winter north of the arctic circle you would see it quite often
Kittie: You should join your hub on his next trip to the north
Dianne: The light summer nights is one of the great things about living in the north, and not to forget the skiing and the northern light in the winter
farawayeyes: Colorado is a great place to live
Helen: The northern light can be forecasted. It's created by magnetic storms on the sun, and subsequently it takes approximately 20 hours for the particle burst to reach the earth. Sun storms can be observed after 8 minutes; that's the time it takes light to travel from the sun to the earth.
That is really cool and really scary at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI saw the Northern lights once when we lived in Alaska. I was a very small child, but I still remember the awesomeness of it.
ReplyDeleteCold- I was telling my kids about this yesterday. Boy, wouldn't I have loved to be in someplace, like, oh, Scotland, last night.
ReplyDeleteClarissa: It's cool, but not scary, just some interesting physics
ReplyDeleteNessa: Alaska should be the right latitudes. I've never been to Alaska, but it's one of the places I would like to visit.
Jayne: Scotland, yes, why not. It's a nice area >;)
I would really like to see this one day. The image is beautiful. I am a new follower btw.
ReplyDeleteStopping by from HER WORLD -
http://muruginjehia.blogspot.com/
Murugi: Thanks, and nice to meet you. Will take a look at your blog >:)
ReplyDelete