In pics: Spectacular aurora show lights up skies across US, UK, Canada, Germany

Such a show successful the northbound is called the aurora borealis, portion successful the south, it is known arsenic the aurora australis.

Auroras are earthy lights that look arsenic bright, swirling curtains successful the nighttime sky, disposable successful a scope of colors including blue, red, yellow, green, and orange. (AP) These lights chiefly look adjacent the poles of some the bluish and confederate hemispheres passim the year, but occasionally they grow to little latitudes. (AP) Solar storms hap erstwhile the prima ejects much star flares oregon explosions from its surface, which disperses dense vigor particles, according to NASA. (AP) Now, auroras hap owed to enactment connected the Sun’s aboveground which continuously releases a watercourse of charged particles known arsenic the star wind. When this star upwind approaches Earth, the planet’s magnetic tract acts arsenic a protective shield, deflecting astir of the particles. (AP) When immoderate of the charged particles go trapped successful the magnetic tract and question down toward the northbound and southbound poles, they participate the Earth’s precocious atmosphere. There, they interact with gases, producing tiny flashes of airy that signifier the auroras. (AP) When star upwind particles collide with oxygen, a greenish airy is emitted, portion interactions with nitrogen nutrient shades of bluish and purple. (AP)