1. Auroras
In the North Hemisphere they are called aurora borealis and in the
Southern Hemisphere, aurora australis. North lights and southern lights
is their more common name. They often play a part in the folktales of
nations in the northern and southern regions.
Auroras, scientist believe, are caused by the action of the earth’s
magnetic fields on the electros from de sun. They believe that the
action is similar to the way pictures are caused on television screens
by a beam of electrons.
Scientists explain the phenomenon of auroras in this way:
1- Charged particles come from the sun and the enter the earth’s
magnetic fields at the north and south poles.
2- Atoms from the earth’s magnetic fields meet the charged
particles from the sun in the air. The atoms from magnetic fields
react with the particles from de sun focus them in the sky above
the poles. This reactions causes flashing lights-the aurora.
The different colors of the flashing lights of the auroras are caused by
oxygen and nitrogen. The atoms of oxygen produce green, red, and
yellow lights, and nitrogen produces blue, green, or violet.
Besides the polar regions the auroras have been seen in the
Mediterranean Sea region. One ancient writer of that region thought
that the air was becoming liquid fire!