Talk:Aurora Borealis

Provenance

The first draft of this article is new material, drafted here, so no further attribution is required. Geo Swan (talk) 00:51, 7 January 2025 (EST)

rough work

I prepared an article about the Aurora a long time ago, on Citizendium. I have copied the last version I wrote below [[Image:Aurora borealis,jpg.jpg|right|thumb|350px|{{#ifexist:Template:Aurora borealis,jpg.jpg/credit|{{Aurora borealis,jpg.jpg/credit}}<br/>|}}Aurora Borealis.]] The '''Aurora Borealis''', also called '''the Northern Lights''', is an electomagnetic phenomenon visible near the [[north magnetic pole]].<ref name=SkyGraham> {{cite news | url=http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/~agraham/Preprints/sunny/sunny-oz.txt | title=Solar Outbursts - Storm Warning | publisher=[[Sky and Telescope]] | author=Alister Graham | date=January 2000 | accessdate=2008-08-26 | quote=The flow of charged solar particles through the Earth's upper atmosphere is strong enough to ionise atmospheric particles, resulting in the eerie glow in the twilight sky known as the aurora, or the southern and northern lights. Because the interaction of magnetic fields and charged particles is greatest near the Earth's magnetic poles, the auroral phenomenon is more prevalent there than at middle latitudes. }} </ref> Observers describe the Auroras as impressive. [[First Nations]] peoples told tales to interpret their meaning. [[Planet Earth]] is surrounded by a [[magnetic field]].<ref name=SkyGraham/> The magnetic field captures [[charged particles]] from outer space, and diverts them to the Earth's magnetic poles. When these charged particles interact with the upper atmosphere there are various kinds of exchanges of [[energy]], resulting in the transmission of [[photon]]s of various frequencies -- including [[visible light]]. The source of most of the extraterrestrial charged particles is the [[solar wind]]. And the intensity of the aurora borealis, and a corresponding [[Aurora Australis]] around the [[south magnetic pole]] is directly related to the intensity of the solar wind. When the solar wind is at its most intense it can knock out [[telecommunication satellite]]s.<ref name=SkyGraham/> ==References== <references/>