SPARK July 2015 | Page 17

CA LL IN https://youtu.be/fVsONlc3OUY So how do they glow? Auroras occur after a few days of violent explosions which happen on the Sun’s surface. The explosions contain particles called electrons and protons which are cast out into space before making their way down into the Earth's atmosphere. The particles hit gas atoms in the high atmosphere, causing the atoms to glow. See this thrilling time-lapse video! Awesome Aur or No two Auro ras ever look the same. The word au rora borealis m eans “dawn of the north” and a ustralis “of the south” Their shapes are curtains or coronas. The brightest and most co mmon auroral colo ur is green b ut you can also spo t blue, purple , red and yellow. a s! In Finland, th e name for th e Aurora Borealis mea ns “Fox Fires” , which comes from an ancient st ory in which the lig hts were cau sed by a magical fox sweeping his tail from the snow to sky. A huge amo unt of solar activity last year meant that some p eople in England and Scotland we re able to spot the Nort hern Lights. SPARK 17