The Northern Lights are actually caused by activity on the surface of the Sun. Solar storms on the Sun’s surface emit clouds of electrically charged particles, which may eventually collide with the Earth. Most are deflected away, but some collide with the Earth’s magnetic field, therefore accelerating down towards the atmosphere around the north and south magnetic poles. This is why aurora activity is located at the poles.
We see different coloured lights during an aurora, as different gases give off different colours when they are heated. The two main gases in our atmosphere are nitrogen and oxygen, which give off different colours - green in the aurora is caused by oxygen, while purple, blue or pink are caused by nitrogen.
Whilst we focus on the Northern Lights, which are officially known as Aurora Borealis, the Southern Hemisphere observe the Southern Lights, which are called Aurora Australis. The further towards the poles you are, the more likely you are to see the aurorae, which is why it is such a rare sight to see them in the UK. However, in the past, the Northern Lights have been viewed as far south as Cornwall.
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