What is an aurora?
An aurora is a colourful light show in the night sky. It happens near the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. In the north, it's called the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. In the south, it's known as the Aurora Australis or Southern Lights.
Auroras happen because of the Sun. The Sun releases many particles. When these particles approach Earth, some of them move along magnetic field lines at the north and south poles. These particles react with the gases in our atmosphere, creating beautiful light displays in the sky.
The reaction of the particles with different gases causes the different lights of an aurora. Recently, a red aurora was seen in India.
Where was a red aurora seen?
A bright red aurora recently lit up the skies over the Hanle and Merak observatories in Ladakh. This special event surprised many because auroras are not usually seen in Indian skies. The red aurora was formed due to solar activity.
The Hanle observatory easily recorded the event, while the Merak observatory faced difficulties due to mountains blocking the view. Earlier, another aurora was seen in the sky on 23rd April 2023. That was the first time an aurora was seen in India.
Solar particles react with which gas to form red aurora?
Red auroras appear when solar particles react with oxygen at higher altitudes, usually between 300 and 400 kilometres. There's less oxygen at this height, making the red colour visible.
Green is the most common aurora colour. It occurs when solar particles react with the abundant oxygen in Earth's atmosphere, found between 100 and 300 km above us. You can learn more about auroras here.
