What a spectacle a big aurora is, its shimmering curtains and colourful rays of light illuminating a dark sky. Many people refer to aurora as the northern lights (the aurora borealis), but there are southern lights too (the aurora australis). Either way, if you’re lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this phenomenon, it’s something you won’t soon forget.
The aurora is often explained simply as “particles from the Sun” hitting our atmosphere. But that’s not technically accurate except in a few limited cases. So what does happen to create this natural marvel?
