Aurora colors: What causes them and why do they vary?

Man looking at colorful auroras in north Iceland. Snow covered ground with stars and Northern lights dancing in the sky.

The aurora, also known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a breathtaking natural phenomenon that has captivated humans for millennia. 

This remarkable spectacle occurs near Earth's poles and manifests as a dazzling display of dancing light, caused by the interaction between solar particles and our planet's atmosphere. Auroras come in a wide variety of colors — from green to pink to blue and purple — that can leave skywatchers both mesmerized and mystified.