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Question
- how do auroras form?
Auroras form when charged particles (electrons and protons) from the Sun, carried by the solar wind, interact with Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. These particles are funneled toward the polar regions, where they collide with gas molecules (like oxygen and nitrogen) in the upper atmosphere. The collisions excite the gas molecules, causing them to emit light, which we see as auroras (aurora borealis in the Northern Hemisphere, aurora australis in the Southern Hemisphere).
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Auroras form when charged particles from the Sun (via solar wind) interact with Earth’s magnetic field and upper - atmospheric gases (like oxygen, nitrogen), exciting the gases to emit light.