The technical names for the night time displays are aurora borealis (northern lights) for the northern hemisphere and aurora australis (southern lights) for the southern hemisphere. In this article, the term northern lights will predominantly be used, but the same science applies to the southern l...
The lights only appear at night, of course, so you can choose from agreat variety of daytime activities to keep you busy– and warm – until the Arctic sun dips below the horizon and the night time show begins. More Northern Lights articles ...
The Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis, occur in northern latitudes. The name originates from Aurora, the Roman goddess of Dawn, and Boreas, the Greek name for the north wind. From far away, the Northern Lights illuminate the northern horizon with a greenish glow or at times, ...
The very latest about what's new here at theNorthern Lightswebsite.Updated 6 June 2011: A note from your editorsPress Box A vast collection of reviews, interviews and articles, collected from radio transcriptions, media and fan-supplied material. ...
[Northern Lights Photos: The Amazing Auroras on Earth] It all comes down to Earth's magnetic tail, which is created by interactions between our planet and the sun. Those interactions begin with Earth's magnetic field, which scientists believe springs from the innards swirling through Earth's ...
Iceland is one of the best places in the world to see the aurora borealis (also known as the northern lights). Here, at 65° N on the southern edge of the Arctic Circle, you can see auroras almost every night — and in warmer temperatures than many other viewing locations around the ...
I had forgotten how grey the sky can be in Northern California during the summer. On our previous trips to Big Sur, the blue of the sky was rivaled only by the blue of the ocean. At first, I was disappointed that the sun was smothered under a thick pillow of clouds and that there...
If you can, try to avoid seeking out the northern lights during a full moon. The brightness of the moon can make it more difficult to see the aurora in the sky. Also, remember that the moon rises and sets like the sun. So you can try and time your northern lights hunting when the...
During the autumn and winter months, the aurora can be seen across the U.K., and as far south as Kent and East Anglia in England. But your best bet is to head for the northernmost parts of the Scottish Highlands or the Shetland Islands, where the northern lights are known as the "Mi...
The level of solar activity is currently the highest it's been in about 20 years, when prolonged geomagnetic storms known as the Great Halloween Storms of 2003, made the northern lights visible as far south as Florida, Texas, and the Mediterranean. ...