Visible Northern Lights

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are caused by the magnetic field surrounding the Earth and the charged particles from the sun. This view of the northern lights was captured in Iowa October 10, 2024. 10:05 PM. The northern lights have been frequently visible further to the south than the poles is due to the strength of the solar winds carrying the charged particles towards the Earth.

• How is Earth's magnetic field generated and what is its role in creating the northern lights?

• Can we predict when the northern lights will be most visible based on solar activity?
• What are some other planets in our solar system known to have auroras, and how do their magnetic fields compare to Earth's?
• How does the strength of the solar wind affect the intensity and visibility of the northern lights?
• How are northern lights created?
• How does Earth's magnetic field generate the northern lights?

Students could:

• Compare magnetic fields of other planets and investigate if those planets also experience auroras.
• Research how to predict an aurora.

• PBS Learning Media | NASA Planetary Sciences: Measuring Mars's Magnetic Field: Learn about the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission to Mars in this video from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center | Aurora Tutorial: Learn the basics of an aurora, as well as how to predict it.