In Pics: Stunning Aurora Substorm Captured By Stargazers

Northern Lights brighten the night sky, offering a spectacular display amid the darkness. Many planets, including Earth, possess a magnetosphere—a vast magnetic shield generated by the planet’s molten metal core that extends deep into space.

Earth’s magnetosphere serves as protection, absorbing harmful charged particles from space by capturing their energy during collisions. When parts of the magnetosphere accumulate excessive energy, a geomagnetic storm can erupt, much like thunderclouds gathering before a storm.

During such storms, the stored energy travels down Earth’s magnetic field lines and enters the atmosphere, resembling a powerful downpour. This influx of particles injects millions of amps into the atmosphere, producing stunning auroral displays visible far from the poles.

Solar Activity and Auroras

The Sun occasionally unleashes massive solar storms, launching large amounts of solar material in explosive sequences known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These massive blobs travel through space, impacting Earth's magnetic environment.

Colors of the Aurora

Aurora colors arise when energetic particles collide with gases in the upper atmosphere, with each gas emitting different colors depending on altitude:

Green: The most common color, caused by electrons exciting oxygen gas between 100–200 km altitude.
Blue: Produced by nitrogen gas excitation at similar altitudes (100–200 km).
Reddish-purple or pink: Emerge when nitrogen is excited below 100 km altitude.

“Many planets, including Earth, have a magnetosphere, which is a large magnetic shield generated by the churning molten metal core that extends far into space.”

“During a geomagnetic storm, accumulated energy flows down Earth's magnetic field lines and precipitates into the atmosphere like a heavy downpour.”

Author’s summary: Earth’s magnetic shield and solar eruptions work together to create breathtaking auroras, painting the night sky with vibrant colors through charged particle collisions high above.

Mashable India — 2025-11-07