Glowing aurora flickering in the sky
Earth.com staff writer
08-12-2017
Glowing aurora flickering in the sky You may already be familiar with what a glowing aurora looks like in the night sky. But a flickering aurora occurs during an explosive aurora, also known as a breakup. When an aurora flickers, its brightness and motion quickly shift. Today’s Video of the Day features a look at the fastest recorded aurora flickering, captured by a collaborative team of researchers in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Watch for a few minutes, and the lights will blink on and off as if someone is flipping a light switch. It’s a pulsating aurora, a variety of northern lights that flickers every 5 to 40 seconds. Scientists have searched for the driver behind this flickering light show for decades.
Even though auroras are best seen at night, they are actually caused by the Sun. The Sun sends us more than heat and light; it sends lots of other energy and small particles our way.
It’s a pulsating aurora, a variety of northern lights that flickers every 5 to 40 seconds. Scientists have searched for the driver behind this flickering light show for decades.
Frequently there are beautiful light shows in the sky. These lights are called auroras. If you’re near the North Pole, it is called an aurora borealis or northern lights. If you’re near the South Pole, it is called an aurora australis or the southern lights. In Earth’s polar regions, the aurora — a ghostlyflicker and colorful glow — mysteriously brightens the night sky. One of the most incredible natural phenomena in the world, the array of colors of the aurora is a source of endless theory and wonder.
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By Rory Arnold, Earth.com
Video Credit: Ayumi Y. Bakken
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