Aurora Color Depends On
Here we learn what causes the different colors in the aurora borealis (northern lights) and the aurora australis (southern lights). The color of an aurora depends on the type of gas that is hit and where that gas is located in the atmosphere. Oxygen excited to different energy levels can produce green and red.
Green occurs roughly between 60 to 120 miles (100-200 km) altitude, and red occurs above 120 miles (200 km). The color of the light depends on the energy released by the atom or molecule. The energy that gets absorbed and the color of light released is a characteristic of that atom.
Colorful science behind Northern lights explains why green, red, purple ...
For example, molecule nitrogen (N 2) releases blue to violet light, while atomic oxygen releases red or green light, depending on the energy it absorbs. Colors of the Aurora. The observations of the colors of the aurora, either in a broader sense by looking at the overall color balance, or by detailed spectroscopic methods, can teach us much about the physical processes that cause aurora and the effects that aurora has on the upper atmosphere.
The northern lights can be green, red, pink, blue or purple. Here we look at the cause and meaning behind all the different aurora colours. The shifting face of Earth's light show is miraculous.
Understanding aurora colors; the science behind the display | MPR News
A guide to the science of the aurora why it appears in different shapes and colours. The color of an aurora depends on the type of gas involved and how high up the collision occurs. Aurora displays can occur at heights between approximately 80 and 500 km (50-311 miles) above Earth's surface.
Interestingly, the altitude at which an aurora occurs depends on the energy of the particles from the Sun. The color of the Aurora depends on which gas is colliding with the charged particles. The most common Auroral color, a pale yellowish-green, is produced by oxygen molecules located about 60 miles above the Earth.
Aurora One of the Wonders of the World
Rare, all-red Auroras are produced by high-altitude oxygen, at heights of up to 200 miles. Nitrogen produces blue or purplish. The precise colors of auroras depend on several factors: the type of molecules the particles collide with, the altitude, and the intensity of solar activity.
The Role of Solar Storms in Aurora Intensity Intense solar events-like coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar flares-boost auroral displays, making them visible even at lower latitudes. The color of the aurora depends on the wavelength of the light emitted. This is determined by the specific atmospheric gas and its electrical state, and the energy of the particle that hits the atmospheric gas.
The atmosphere consists mainly of nitrogen and oxygen, which emit the characteristic colors of their respective line spectra.
