<p><br>
An aurora borealis glows brightly over Churchill, Canada. Auroras occur when charged particles outside the Earth's atmosphere collide with atoms in the upper atmosphere. The result: a glowing display of curtains, arcs, and bands in the sky. The phenomenon is called aurora borealis or northern lights in the Northern Hemisphere and aurora australis or southern lights in the Southern Hemisphere.</p>
Aurora Borealis, Churchill, Canada
An aurora borealis glows brightly over Churchill, Canada. Auroras occur when charged particles outside the Earth's atmosphere collide with atoms in the upper atmosphere. The result: a glowing display of curtains, arcs, and bands in the sky. The phenomenon is called aurora borealis or northern lights in the Northern Hemisphere and aurora australis or southern lights in the Southern Hemisphere.
Patterns in Nature: Auroras
See aurora pattern photos, from National Geographic.
DON'T MISS THE REST OF THIS STORY!
Create a free account to continue and get unlimited access to hundreds of Nat Geo articles, plus newsletters.
