Aurorae

• aurorae
• see also:
  • astronomy index and links
  • Solar Storm October 2003
  • geomagnetic activity and storms
  • web sites:
    • SOHO images of the sun
    • The most powerful solar flares
    • aurora gallery
    • space weather forecast
    • space physics textbook

Aurorae:

• these are glowing lights in the circum polar skies (Aurora Borealis in the north and Aurora Australis in the south) which result from high energy protons ejected from the sun interacting with atoms and molecules in the earth's upper atmosphere under the influence of earth's magnetic fields which directs them towards the poles.
• these jets tend to reach earth some 21 hours after being ejected from the sun in a coronal mass ejection (CME) which is related to sunspot activity, and cause geomagnetic activity and storms and resultant aurorae.
• a good example of the extent of prominent aurorae is the image taken by satellite showing the x17.2 flare from 28t Oct 2003 creating aurorae over the nocturnal north American skies