This document provides information about auroras, or the northern and southern lights. It describes how auroras form in the upper atmosphere due to interactions between the Earth's magnetic field and charged particles from the sun. The document discusses the colors of auroras which vary based on the type of gas particles and altitude. It also provides details on the best times and locations to view auroras, and notes that auroras can be seen on other planets like Jupiter. While auroras can disrupt communications and technology, they are not harmful to people on Earth's surface.

1. AURORA
A NATURAL ELECTRICAL
PHENOMENON

2. AURORAL OVAL
• An oval-shaped
region
centered on the
earth's magnetic pole
• Auroral oval
intensity and size α
auroral activity

3. LOCATIONSAurora
Borealis
Aurora
Australis

4. SYDNEY CHAPMANN & VINCENT FERRARO
1930

5. HOW AURORAS ARE FORMED?

6. IN WHICH LAYER
AURORAS
FORM?
Upper
mesosphere
Lower
thermosphere
Ionosphere
Usually above 50
degree latitude

7. AURORAL COLOURS
• Different colors: red to pink, blue to purple
• Colors vary with altitude
• Different excited atoms emit different colors
• OXYGEN at high altitude: red color
OXYGEN at low altitude: Yellow green color
• NITROGEN: blue color
NEUTRAL NITROGEN: red-purple color

9. BEST TIME TO WATCH AURORA
• During spring and fall; in September
and March
• During the night between midnight and
2 a.m
• Cold nights: clear sky
• Warm nights: Cloudy sky

10. AURORA ON OTHER PLANETS
• Magnetic field and atmosphere
• Venus Jupiter and Saturn
• Jupiter’s aurora (Larger than diameter
of earth due to charged particles)

13. MYTHS ABOUT AURORA
• SCOTS : "Heavenly Dancers" or "Merry Dancers."
• ESKIMOS IN GREENLAND: realm of the dead ,
contacting living friend
• DENMARK & SWEDEN: active volcano
• Many people were afraid of these lights

14. ARE THEY HARMFUL?
• Disrupt radio communications
• Damage satellites
• Disrupt power stations and power lines
• Hazardous to astronauts
• Earths surface, we are safe

15. THANK YOU
ANY QUESTION ?