Why are there different Northern Lights colours? - Aurora Nights
Dec 2, 2023 · Oxygen gives off the fluorescent green and yellow colour of the aurora (most common) when hit by electrons in the solar system. Nitrogen causes blue or red colours and sometimes pink, while neon turns them orange.
Aurora Colors Explained – Southern and Northern Lights
Mar 1, 2023 · When the red light overlaps blue light, you see purple or sometimes vivid pink. Similarly, when the red bleeds into the yellowish green from oxygen, you get orange aurora.
How do the Northern Lights appear in different colours? - Aurora …
Reds appear in the Aurora when solar particles react with Oxygen at higher altitudes, generally above 150 miles. At this height the Oxygen is less concentrated and is “excited” at a higher frequency or wavelength than the denser Oxygen lower down making reds visible.
Aurora colors: What causes them and why do they vary? | Space
Nov 20, 2024 · Here we learn what causes the different colors in the aurora borealis (northern lights) and the aurora australis (southern lights).
The colours of the northern lights | Canadian Space Agency
The following colours can be seen when the northern lights are in the sky. Green: Green is the most common colour seen from the ground and is produced when charged particles collide with oxygen molecules at altitudes of 100 to 300 km.
Why the northern lights are displayed in different colors
May 15, 2024 · Orange, yellow, and green are the easiest colors for us to see within this spectrum. At night, yellow is the most visible while green is most visible during the day. This is one factor that...
Northern lights: What causes the different colors? - The Hill
May 12, 2024 · Green northern lights, the most common, occur when particles interact with oxygen between 75 and 110 miles in altitude. If oxygen and nitrogen are “excited by the incoming particles” at the...
The Different Types Of Northern Lights Explained - Sciencing
Dec 21, 2024 · Oxygen produces the northern lights' iconic green hues, while nitrogen, the one of the most common gases in the atmosphere, can produce shades of blue, purple, and pink. During particularly energetic solar storms, high-altitude oxygen interactions can even paint the sky in dramatic scarlet reds.
Understanding aurora colors; the science behind the display
Oct 11, 2024 · Blue: Created by interactions with nitrogen at lower altitudes (below 60 miles), giving a vivid blue hue. Blue aurora’s are more rare than red and green and typically seen around sunset...
What are the northern lights? - Canadian Space Agency
Green, red, blue: the northern lights come in a variety of colours. Go to The colours of the northern lights page to find out more. Aurora borealis over Yellowknife, NWT. (Credits: CSA, University of Calgary, Astronomy North)