Northern Lights

Discover how the chemical reactions which produce the extraordinary colours of the Northern Lights have their origins in outer space. Chemistry - Atoms And Bonding - Learning Points. Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is a natural light show that occurs at the North Pole. Magnetic activity on the Sun's surface propels super-fast charged electrons and ions into space - this is known as solar wind. The solar ions collide with atoms in the Earth's atmosphere and emit photons of light. The colour of the light emitted is dependent the type of atom the ions have collided with - a blue or red glow means that a nitrogen atom has been struck. A Twig Context Film. Reinforce and extend the learning required by the curriculum. Twig’s context films show abstract concepts in action in the real world.