Norway
Northern Lights
Look up! The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, paint the night sky near the North Pole with shimmering waves of green, pink, and purple light.
Why is it famous?
It's one of the most magical natural light shows on the planet, glowing and rippling across the sky.
People travel from all over the world to places like Norway, Iceland, and Alaska hoping to see it.
How is it formed?
Tiny charged particles from the Sun crash into gases high in Earth's atmosphere, making them glow.
Different gases glow different colors — oxygen glows green or red, while nitrogen glows blue or purple.
Amazing facts
The lights can stretch for thousands of miles across the sky at once.
They usually appear near the North and South Poles, where Earth's magnetic field pulls the particles in.
Quick facts
- The lights can stretch for thousands of miles across the sky at once.
- They usually appear near the North and South Poles, where Earth's magnetic field pulls the particles in.
- The lights can shimmer, ripple, or even seem to dance, sometimes changing shape in just seconds.
- The Southern Lights, called Aurora Australis, are the very same kind of glow near the South Pole.