We Finally Know How the Northern Lights Form

Auroras like the famous Northern Lights have captivated humans for millennia. But scientists haven't been able to prove exactly how they form—until now.

For decades, the exact science of how the northern lights form in our night sky has eluded experts. And we have finally proved just how these dazzling light shows happen.

Auroras appear in the upper atmosphere near the poles and they first were mentioned in texts thousands of years ago. But it wasn’t until the late 1800’s that a Norweigian physicist first made the connection between electric currents in Earth’s magnetic field and auroras in the sky.

And it’s only been since the beginning of the 20th century that scientists have known the basics of how auroras work. Today, we know that all auroras begin with solar activity. The sun puts out a continuous stream of charged particles called the solar wind.

They’re responsible for producing the most intense auroras. They disrupt the magnetic field lines, creating ripples that rebound back toward Earth known as Alfven waves. And this is where the mystery starts.

#auroras #northernlights #planetearth #science #seeker #elements

Read More:
Laboratory measurements of the physics of auroral electron acceleration by Alfvén waves
"While the aurora has attracted attention for millennia, important questions remain unanswered. Foremost is how auroral electrons are accelerated before colliding with the ionosphere and producing auroral light."

Aurora sighted in northern U.S. as powerful geomagnetic storm continues
"Earth’s magnetosphere transforms the potentially hazardous electromagnetic energy into curtains of visible light that we see as the aurora. The more intense the disturbance, the farther away from the poles the lights will extend."

Mystery of Jupiter's powerful X-ray auroras finally solved
"Mysterious flares of X-rays from Jupiter's auroras suggest that the giant planet's "northern lights" may possess unexpected similarities with those of Earth, a new study finds."
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[brett.porter]

Aurora Borealis? At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within your lab?

[hazerion]

"At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the county, localized entirely within this lab?"

"Yes"

[PregmaSogma]

Well, Seymour, I made it- despite your directions...

[Wolfy]

yo the music in the background in 0:42 is liiiit!

[wholegrainvideos]

Ok this makes me want to go see these! Wonderful host :)

[paulcooper]

This video shows that scientists have observed electrons surfing on Alfvén Waves in the lab.
But, not necessarily that it is the primary accelerator of electrons producing auroras.
Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

[charlespk]

i was hoping for more discoveries into how electricity (via electrons) interact with plasma and magnetic waves.
the interaction of electrons is kinda the central concept of electronics. these findings could lead to more useful purposes.

[tomfromoz]

Excellent presenter! She is lovely and clear voiced. Interesting topic as well. Thank you! >> Tom's wife <<

[meir.zeilig-hess]

Very cool experiment and explanation. Thanks!

[Seekingsilver]

I hope they were playing some Pink floyd at the time.🌌

[mohammedfaizan]

I have a question. How do you do your research? And where do you get this information from?

[mudfossiluniversity]

Northern/Southern lights are Field Effects from the LAYERS of gases. They create diff colors as they excite. I do light research and can accelerate light... Light is simply dipoles that bounce from the negative pole.

[HypeLozerInc]

I need to see this i miss seeing aura borialis

[patrickbateman]

It's actually northern lights season now

[dincao]

WA-WA-wait... So they created the first holograms...

[beefwellington]

No wonder I couldn't find D news it's this channel just different name

[wazaifandamalyaat]

hi dear
if heve highly radiation copper plate you can do something about it

[woutmoerman]

But if the light from the Aurora is caused by excited nitrogen molecules, shouldn't the light be monochromatic? Or at least a limited amount of spectral lines? Maybe it is also excitation of other gasses such as oxygen?

[AlexIdk.]

We can now make an terrarium with auroras

[adityaln]

is it the albane wave or the space electrons that cause auroras?