Northern Lights Research Paper
The Northern lights, or Aurora Borealis, are one of the world's most amazing phenomenons. The lights are the result of collisions between gaseous particles in Earth’s atmosphere with charged particles from the sun. Free electrons and protons are thrown from the sun’s atmosphere by the rotation of the sun. The charged particles are are largely deflected by the earth’s magnetic field, but at the north and south poles, the magnetic field is weaker, allowing some charged particles to collide with gas particles. These collisions emit the lights that we see as the Aurora Borealis today. The most common auroral colour is a yellowish green, which is caused by molecules sixty miles above the earth. The more rare red auroral colour is produced at very
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In Roman times and the 26th century in Europe, people viewed the lights as frightening omens, heralding the outbreak of war, plague, or death. The North American Inuit call the lights “aqsarniit”, or football players. They believe that the lights are the spirits of dead football players playing football with the head of a walrus. In China, Auroral sightings are very rare and the Chinese believed the lights were a celestial battle between good and evil fire-breathing dragons. In Japan, the beliefs of the lights were if a child was conceived under them, they would be blessed with good looks, intellect, and good fortune. The Icelandic and and Greenland lights are also both associated with birth. The Icelandic myths were that if the expectant mother looked at the Auroras while giving birth the baby would be born cross eyed! The legends from Greenland sadly proclaimed that the lights were the souls of the stillborn babies. In Sweden, the lights mean good news. Many of the Swedish forefathers believed that the lights were a gift from the Gods. In other places in the country, the lights were believed to be reflections of large shoals of herring for the local fishermen. Different countries having different legends can show how diverse and magnificent our world is; and the Northern Lights do no less than
In Roman times and the 26th century in Europe, people viewed the lights as frightening omens, heralding the outbreak of war, plague, or death. The North American Inuit call the lights “aqsarniit”, or football players. They believe that the lights are the spirits of dead football players playing football with the head of a walrus. In China, Auroral sightings are very rare and the Chinese believed the lights were a celestial battle between good and evil fire-breathing dragons. In Japan, the beliefs of the lights were if a child was conceived under them, they would be blessed with good looks, intellect, and good fortune. The Icelandic and and Greenland lights are also both associated with birth. The Icelandic myths were that if the expectant mother looked at the Auroras while giving birth the baby would be born cross eyed! The legends from Greenland sadly proclaimed that the lights were the souls of the stillborn babies. In Sweden, the lights mean good news. Many of the Swedish forefathers believed that the lights were a gift from the Gods. In other places in the country, the lights were believed to be reflections of large shoals of herring for the local fishermen. Different countries having different legends can show how diverse and magnificent our world is; and the Northern Lights do no less than