Jan
24
2012
The aurora is one of the most spectacular of all natural phenomena. Also known as the “Northern Lights, it is light emitted by atoms and molecules in the polar upper atmosphere at altitudes above 100 kilometers.
The basic physics behind the process is the same as that of a Neon sign. In the Northern Hemisphere, It is best seen from central Alaska, Northern Canada, the Northern tip of Greenland, Iceland, the northern tip of Scandinavia, and off the Siberian coast. The Aurorain the Northern Hemisphere is called the aurora borealis, while in the Southern Hemisphere it is called the aurora australis. The author has personally clearly seen the aurora from Memphis, TN in U.S.