The Aurora:What does it look like?

An introduction for elementary school-aged children

Courtesy of Tom Eklund

Near the poles of Earth, observershave often seen glowing cloudsshaped like curtains, tapestries,

snakes, or even spectacularradiating beams.

Courtesy of NASA

Courtesy of Tom Eklund

Northern Hemisphere observers callthem the Northern Lights orAurora Borealis. Southern

Hemisphere observers call them theSouthern Lights or Aurora

Australis.

Courtesy of NASA

Courtesy of Tom Eklund

Because most people, and landmasses, are found north of the

equator, we have a longer record ofobserving them in northern regions

such as Alaska ,Canada,Scandinavia, but sometimes as farsouth as the Mediterranean Sea or

Mexico!Courtesy of NASA

Courtesy of Tom Eklund

Courtesy of Tom Eklund

An artist’s drawing of THEMIS.Courtesy of NASA

Auroral activity can be observed from theground or from space. For example, in2007, NASA launched five THEMISsatellites aboard a single Delta II rocketfrom Cape Canaveral Air Force Stationin Florida. The THEMIS satellites orbitEarth to monitor auroras, helping usbetter understand what they are andhow they behave.

Courtesy of Tom Eklund

What do you think these ovals of lightlook like from the ground if you werelooking up at the sky? From space wecan look down at an aurora and seethat it actually looks like a crown oflight! Scientists call this the Auroral

Oval.

Courtesy of NASA

Courtesy of NASA

This is an image of the aurora taken from asatellite in space.

Courtesy of NASA

If you were standing on the groundlooking up at the night sky, you

would only see a very small part ofthis halo.

Courtesy of NASA

Courtesy of Tom Eklund