Northern lights happen when charged particles from the Sun collide with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere, exciting those gas atoms and causing them to emit light. The display is shaped and directed by Earth’s magnetic field, so it mainly appears around the polar regions. Key points:

• Source of particles: Solar wind from the Sun, often enhanced by solar flares or coronal mass ejections.

• Where they occur: Particles are guided by Earth’s magnetosphere into the auroral ovals around the magnetic poles, then collide with atmospheric gases high above the surface.

• What you see: The light comes from excited oxygen and nitrogen atoms returning to their ground state, emitting different colors (green, red, purple) depending on altitude and gas type.

• Typical altitude: Emissions usually occur tens to hundreds of miles above Earth, with some displays extending higher depending on conditions.

• Variability: Activity intensifies with higher solar activity (solar maximum), which can make the auroras brighter and visible further from the poles.

If you’d like, I can tailor a short, kid-friendly explanation, a quick science quiz, or a simple diagram description to help visualize the process.