Eli5 what causes aurora borealis?
In: 6
It’s a celestial fluorescent light or neon sign.
The magnetic field of the Earth traps a plasma which is disturbed by the solar wind causing large current flows in the upper atmosphere. This ionizes and excites the molecules which give off light just like in a fluorescent or neon tube.
Different molecules give off a different spectrum of light when excited. The colors are generally determined by the predominant gases present at the different layers in the atmosphere. Different gasses produce the different colors.
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