The phenomenon of the Northern Lights
History of the Northern Lights
The Northern Lights get their name from the Latin Aurora Borealis, a name given to them by the scientist and astronomer Galileo Galileo. Aurora was the Roman goddess of dawn, and Borealis is derived from the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas. What is often referred to as the Northern Lights are in fact the polar lights because these magnificent luminous sheets are in fact formed above the two magnetic poles, "aurora borealis" in the northern hemisphere and "aurora australis" in the southern hemisphere. . Formerly “northern lights”, is an atmospheric light phenomenon characterized by extremely colorful veils in the night sky, green being predominant. They can look like a swirl of colors dancing across the sky, rays of light reaching into space, and sometimes even a giant crack stretching across the sky.
Why does this phenomenon occur?
As the Earth rotates around the sun, a fraction of magnetic particles is thrown into space continuously and at very high speed by the sun called the solar wind. A small percentage of these particles manage to penetrate the magnetic field, however, but since this field is less efficient at both poles, the solar particles come into contact with oxygen and are attracted to the North and South poles of the Earth which are to radiate colors ranging from green to red. When these particles collide with atoms and molecules in our atmosphere, they get excited. This creates two shiny rings of auroral emissions around the north and south magnetic poles, called the auroral ovals. The lights are strongest just below the auroral ovals and all of northern Norway is below the auroral oval and above the Arctic Circle, making it one of the best privileged places to
Today, science allows us to explain these phenomena, but back then, without scientific knowledge, our ancestors tried to make sense of them with wonderful tales of monsters and deities. These stories taught men to respect, fear and worship the lights in the sky. But as our understanding of the solar system and our place in it grew, these stories slipped into the realm of myth and legends.
Norse myths and legends : The Vikings believed that the northern lights illuminating the sky were a reflection of the armor of the Valkyries leading the warriors appointed by Odin to Valhalla.
Myths and Legends of North America : The Cree Indians believed that the lights were a way to communicate with their ancestors, and, when dogs barked when they saw the lights, it was because they recognized their lost companions
European mythology and legends : Swedish fishermen rejoiced when they saw an aurora, as they saw the reflection of gigantic schools of herring nearby.
What is the difference between the northern lights and the southern lights?
The northern lights and the southern lights are mirror images of each other. When it is summer in the Arctic Circle and the Northern Lights are not visible, it is winter in Antarctica and the Aurora Austral will be observable, and vice versa.
The Northern Lights are more popular with tourists because they are more easily accessible and the regions where they take place are more hospitable. In winter, the Antarctic continent is surrounded by a wide belt of pack ice, which makes it very difficult to access. By comparison, the Norwegian coast, Alaska, northern Canada, southern Greenland, Iceland, and the northern tip of Russia and Scandinavia are populated areas with all kinds of opportunities for travelers wishing to admire. northern Lights.
When can we observe them?
Technically, the Northern Lights occur throughout the year. In the Arctic, the winter season runs from late September to late March / early April. During this period, and under the right conditions, the sky is dark enough for the Northern Lights to be visible. However, during the summer months there are not enough hours of darkness for them to be visible, even above the Arctic Circle. They experience a peak of activity around the equinoxes, in March and September. The Northern Lights usually appear between 5 p.m. and 2 a.m. They often only show up for a few moments; they can be seen a few minutes before they fade, but they can come back a few moments later. They are rarely visible for more than 15 or 30 minutes at a time. But, if you're lucky, sometimes the show can last a few hours.