Aurora borealis has three different names: Aurora borealis, an Aurora, and the most commonly used nickname, the northern/southern lights. These naturally formed lights on Earth can most commonly be seen in northern countries like Finland, Sweden, Russia, Iceland, Canada, etc. However, sometimes the auroras can be seen further south.

The full understanding of what causes different types of auroras is still out of our reach, but we know the basics. It is clear that the prime source of auroral particles is the solar wind feeding the magnetosphere, the reservoir containing the radiation zones and temporarily magnetically trapped particles confined by the geomagnetic field, coupled with particle acceleration processes.

Auroras change with time. Over the course of the night, they begin with glows and progress toward coronas, although they may not always reach them. They tend to fade in the opposite order.

The name aurora comes from the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora.

If you desire to see the northern lights, you can easily search the forecast to find where they will next appear. Note that you can only see them during the night or when it's dark. It should also be a cloudless night.

Different colours that can be seen in an aurora are green, red, blue, and ultraviolet. Yellow and pink are a mix of red and green or blue. Other shades of red, as well as orange and gold, may be seen on rare occasions; yellow-green is moderately common. As red, green, and blue are linearly independent colours, additive synthesis could, in theory, produce most human-perceived colours.

In general, auroras are a beautiful natural event that is worth seeing and experiencing!