The short answer to how the aurora happens is that energetic electrically charged particles (mostly electrons) accelerate along the magnetic field lines into the upper atmosphere, where they collide with gas atoms, causing the atoms to give off light.Also know, where do auroras occur in the atmosphere?
The aurora (Northern Lights and Southern Lights) mostly occur in the thermosphere. The thermosphere is a layer of Earth's atmosphere. The thermosphere is directly above the mesosphere and below the exosphere. It extends from about 90 km (56 miles) to between 500 and 1,000 km (311 to 621 miles) above our planet.
Subsequently, question is, how often do auroras occur? "Active periods are typically about 30 minutes long, and occur every two hours, if the activity is high. The aurora is a sporadic phenomenon, occurring randomly for short periods or perhaps not at all."
Also question is, is the aurora borealis in the stratosphere?
The Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis occur in the ionosphere. Most auroras occur in the E-layer of the ionosphere, which is located 90 km to 150 km (60 mi to 90 mi) above the earth's surface. These auroras are particularly energetic and can reach altitudes as low as 50 miles (80 km).
Are Auroras dangerous?
The Northern Lights occur so high up in the atmosphere that they don't pose any threat to people watching them from the ground. The aurora itself is not harmful to humans but the electrically charged particles produced could have some potentially negative effects to infrastructure and technology.
Why does the aurora happen?
The short answer to how the aurora happens is that energetic electrically charged particles (mostly electrons) accelerate along the magnetic field lines into the upper atmosphere, where they collide with gas atoms, causing the atoms to give off light.How hot is the upper atmosphere?
The exact temperature of the thermosphere can vary substantially, but the average temperature above 180 miles (300 km) is about 800 degrees Fahrenheit (427 degrees Celsius) at solar minimum and 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit (927 degrees Celsius) at solar maximum.Where can I see Aurora?
In Fairbanks, Alaska, the sky glows with the aurora borealis. Located just two degrees below the Arctic near international airport and close to the impressive Denali National Park, Fairbanks is the best place in the U.S. to take in the northern lights.What makes the northern lights green?
The Northern Lights are actually the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth's atmosphere with charged particles released from the sun's atmosphere. The most common auroral color, a pale yellowish-green, is produced by oxygen molecules located about 60 miles above the earth.Why are there northern lights in Alaska?
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Alaska? The northern lights occur because of solar activity, and because the sun is presently near what is called solar minimum, some aurora hunters have decided to postpone their trips.Where is the ionosphere located?
A dense layer of molecules and electrically charged particles, called the ionosphere, hangs in the Earth's upper atmosphere starting at about 35 miles (60 kilometers) above the planet's surface and stretching out beyond 620 miles (1,000 km).What are the different layers of the atmosphere?
The atmosphere can be divided into layers based on its temperature, as shown in the figure below. These layers are the troposphere, the stratosphere, the mesosphere and the thermosphere. A further region, beginning about 500 km above the Earth's surface, is called the exosphere.What layer of the atmosphere do satellites orbit?
Exosphere
Why are there no Southern Lights?
So as the solar winds' bombardment of Earth shifts from perpendicular to more parallel with the poles, it forces the auroras to change shape or location, causing the asymmetry between the northern and southern lights. But the symmetry can also be restored.Is there an aurora borealis in the Southern Hemisphere?
The auroras in Earth's Northern Hemisphere are called the aurora borealis. Their southern counterpart, which light up the Antarctic skies in the Southern Hemisphere, are known as the aurora australis.Do other planets have auroras?
They can be seen on other planets in our solar system too. Space scientists at NASA have been able to confirm that some of our closest neighbouring planets such as Jupiter and Saturn have their own auroras. A close up of Jupiter's northern aurora. Magnetic pull on both of Jupiter's poles causing these aurorae.Which layer contains the ozone layer?
stratosphere
Why is Aurora Borealis important?
The aurora borealis – otherwise known as the northern lights – is a vivid demonstration of the Earth's magnetic field interacting with charged particles from the sun. It's also beautiful, and worth braving a cold night out when visiting the high northern (or southern) latitudes.What is another name for the aurora borealis?
Northern lights are also called by their scientific name, aurora borealis, and southern lights are called aurora australis.What is Aurora Borealis commonly known as?
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), sometimes referred to as polar lights, northern lights (aurora borealis), or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in the Earth's sky, predominantly seen in the high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic).What layer do meteors burn up in?
Those meteors are burning up in the mesosphere. The meteors make it through the exosphere and thermosphere without much trouble because those layers don't have much air. But when they hit the mesosphere, there are enough gases to cause friction and create heat.Can you see the northern lights with the human eye?
The simplistic answer is because human eyes can't see the relatively “faint” colors of the aurora at night. Our eyes have cones and rods – the cones work during the day and the rods work at night. Thus the human eye views the Northern Lights generally in “black & white.” DSLR camera sensors don't have this limitation. 
