The Northern Lights appear above Canada. Photo Credit: NASA By Amber Bennett Few people have the opportunity to view one of Earth's natural wonders: the awesome light shows known as auroras. This is because the northern and southern lights light up the sky primarily in the polar regions. So, what causes the ribbons of light and glowing skies? The cause is the solar wind that flows from the sun to the Earth. The majority of the charged particles are deflected by the magnetic field. However, some of them move along the magnetic field to the north or south pole. Once there, they enter the atmosphere, bumping into nitrogen and oxygen atoms. This excites the atoms, which makes them unstable. The atoms then relax and enter a ground (unexcited) state, releasing the photons (light particles) that create auroras. This photo of an aurora was taken on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: ESA/NASA Where Can You See the Auroras? You can watch the breathtaking light show known as t
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