What are the Northern Lights?

Bright green lights fill the sky near the North Pole.

One of the most beautiful phenomena in nature is the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights.  Aurora comes from the name of the Roman god of the dawn. Borealis comes from the Greek god of north wind. An aurora is a natural light show that appears in the night sky. The Sun causes a strong solar wind. The solar wind moves particles toward Earth. When the particles bump into each other, they create light. 

Amazing colors of the Northern Lights.

Northern Lights appear in cold areas near the North Pole. The best time to see them is between late October and the end of March. These months have dark, clear nights in the winter. Northern Lights create an aurora of different colors. The primary color is bright green. Sometimes there are hints of purple, blue, or pink.  The Northern Lights spread amazing colors across the sky late at night when it is very dark.

What Do You Think?    What else would you like to see in the far north after viewing the Northern Lights?

Reading Response Click on this link to respond to your reading. Print out the response page or upload it to your classroom site. 

What Happened? Why? 

Photo Credit: (t)David Noton Photography/Alamy Stock Photo, (b)Antony spencer/Vetta/Getty Images