Do northern lights (aurora borealis) show the same visual activity all along their visible latitude range?

Asked by: Alex Santiago

What latitude are the northern lights visible?

between 60 and 75 degrees of

They usually occur between 60 and 75 degrees of latitude, which covers northern parts of Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Alaska and Russia as well as all of Iceland.

Can you see aurora borealis in other latitudes of the Earth?

As geomagnetic activity increases, the region of the aurora expands to lower latitudes, in the direction of the equator. When geomagnetic activity is very high, the aurora may be seen at much lower latitudes around Earth that would otherwise rarely experience these polar lights.

Why the aurora borealis or northern lights can be seen at the north Pole but not at the equator?

This magnetic field will deflect the electrons. With this deflection, the electrons move around the planet and hit near the polar regions where the magnetic field is weakest. That’s how the daytime auroras occur, when electrons hit the sun-facing magnetic field and are deflected to the poles.

Can the Northern Lights be seen all the time?

The Northern Lights are actually active all year round. But because they are only typically visible in the aurora zone between 65° and 72° North, they are not visible from April through August when the aurora zone experiences nearly 24 hours of daylight.

Why are auroras seen only at higher latitudes?

The auroras can’t occur at the equator simply because not enough particles can hit the atmosphere there to cause auroras. One day though, we may see auroras at the equator. The Earth’s magnetic field is not fixed and moves with time. About every 450,000 years the field flips around completely.

What does high latitude mean?

The middle latitudes are found between 30 degrees N/S and 60 degrees N/S. And the high latitudes are found between 60 degrees N/S and the poles (90 degrees N/S).

Where are the auroras most visible on Earth?

Where can auroras be seen? The brightest auroras can be observed close to Earth’s poles within the ‘auroral ovals’, which are the rings of regions between 10° and 20° latitude of Earth’s geomagnetic poles. These ovals expand towards the equator during geomagnetic activity.

Can you see the Northern Lights from the South Pole?

— Naba, 9, Oakville, Ont. The northern lights are also called auroras, and they are regularly visible near Earth’s North and South Poles. They are a direct connection between the Earth and what’s happening on the sun.

Do auroras occur in the stratosphere?

Finally, the thermosphere is where the aurora (Southern and Northern Lights) occur. At high latitudes, charged particles from space clash with atoms and molecules in the thermosphere, causing them to be excited into higher energy levels.

What is the difference between the northern lights and aurora borealis?

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are a spectacular, colourful display of light commonly seen in the night sky in the northern hemisphere. Auroras in the southern hemisphere are known as the southern lights, or aurora australis.

Can you see northern lights with naked eyes?

Auroras appear to the naked eye as a very faint, white glow in the night sky to the magnetic north. Many auroras are totally invisible to the naked eye or can only be seen by looking at them indirectly, i.e. out of the corner of your eye. It is extremely rare to see them in colour with the naked eye.

Why are auroras only seen at the poles?

Of the two poles, the aurora can be seen the strongest near the arctic circle in the Northern Hemisphere. The reason that the Aurora can only be seen at the poles has to do with how the Earth’s magnetic field acts. The Earth has a metal core and acts much like a bar magnet with two poles and a magnetic field.

Why are auroras not always visible from temperate regions?

Why are auroras not always visible in temperate regions of the Earth? If there isn’t as much solar activity (sunspots, solar flares, etc…) the solar wind will not be as strong, and will only be deflected by the magnetic fields at the poles.

What is aurora borealis called in the Southern Hemisphere?

Aurora Australis

Like its Northern Hemisphere counterpart (Aurora Borealis), the Southern Lights (Aurora Australis) illuminate the night sky with flickering shades of green, blue, purple and red.

Can you see the northern lights in the North Pole?

The Aurora Borealis is most commonly seen in the polar regions, within a radius of 2,500 km around the magnetic poles. This area is known as the Auroral Zone or the Auroral Oval. For the Northern Lights, the further north you travel the more likely you are to catch a glimpse of the aurora.

Can the Northern Lights be seen in Texas?

In 2001, during one of these solar flares, people as far south as Texas enjoyed an aurora borealis light show. The next flare-up will likely take place sometime in 2011, so keep your eyes peeled [source: Dupont]. Unfortunately, there’s no guaranteed time or place to see the Northern Lights.

What direction are the Northern Lights?

The northern lights can spread in 1600 km in east-west direction but usually not more than 1,5-2 km in the north-south direction. The northern lights occur at altitudes between 90-1000 km, but the more common altitude is between 100-400 km.

Can you see the Northern Lights from New York?

What’s the best area in Manhattan to catch the spectacle? Although Faherty is quick to note that we will likely not be able to see the Northern Lights from Manhattan, she does note that Central Park might be the best location to possibly catch them.

Where is the best place to see the Northern Lights in the US?

Alaska

Hands down, Alaska is the best place to see the northern lights in the United States, thanks to its geographic location and dark skies. Ground zero for celestial wonders: Fairbanks, which is located right under the aurora oval.

Where is the best place in the world to see the Northern Lights?

Tromso, Norway

1. Tromso, Norway. Based in the heart of the aurora zone in the Norwegian Arctic, the city is widely regarded as one of the world’s best places to see the Northern Lights.

How far south can the Northern Lights be seen in the US?

To observers at far-northern latitudes, the Lights are a frequent occurrence, but many who live in more temperate climates have never seen them, even though they are occasionally seen as far south as 35 degrees North latitude.