What causes the Northern Lights? Where in America can you see the Northern Lights?

Northern Lights occur when charged particles from the sun hit the atoms in Earth’s atmosphere.

The electrons in the atoms move to a higher-energy state, and then drop back to a lower energy state, releasing a photon: light.

Where in America can you see the Northern Lights?

Northern Lights can be seen in Alaska. This is because the city is located “within the auroral oval and dark skies”.

About The Northern Lights

The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, is a natural display of brightly coloured lights in the sky in high-latitude regions.

The lights often appear as curtains, rays, spirals, or dynamic flickers.

Auroras mostly occur in the auroral zone, and is “clearly seen at night against a dark sky.” They usually occur when there is a disruption in the magnetosphere caused by the solar wind.

This changes the path of charged particles (electrons and protons), which precipitates in the magnetospheric plasma.

In the United Kingdom, the Aurora recently appeared in southern England and Wales, following a strong geomagnetic storm.

Since its appearing, it has become stronger around the equinox and “keeps increasing as the sun reaches the most active part of its 11-year cycle in 2025.”

The months of September and March are considered the best months to see the Northern Lights in its full effulgence.