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Ò��°Ò⬦�¸Ò⬦â����Ò⬦â���� The Northern Lights and the solar wind

Follow charged particles from the Sun through EarthÒ��¢Ò¢â��š�¬Ò¢â��ž�¢s magnetic shield to the glowing colors of the Northern Lights.

4
lessons
~30 min
to learn
Adults
level
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What you’ll learn

  1. A wind from the SunExplain what the solar wind is and how its charged particles and magnetic field travel from the Sun.The solar wind is a continuous plasma outflow whose speed, density, and magnetic orientation shape the space environment.
  2. Earth’s magnetic shieldDescribe how the magnetosphere deflects solar wind and transfers energy through magnetic reconnection.Earth’s magnetic field forms a compressed dayside shield and stretched magnetotail, with reconnection opening pathways for energy and plasma.
  3. How the sky starts to glowTrace auroral light from particles guided to the poles through collisions with oxygen and nitrogen.Energetic particles excite upper-atmosphere gases; their return to lower-energy states produces the aurora’s colors and moving forms.
  4. Watching space weatherConnect auroras to space-weather monitoring and explain why storms can affect technology.Solar, satellite, and ground instruments follow the Sun–Earth chain, while the same electromagnetic activity that makes auroras can disturb communications and power systems.

Questions this course answers

What is the solar wind?

The solar wind is a continuous outflow of plasma, mainly charged protons and electrons, carrying the Sun’s magnetic field.

Why does Earth’s magnetosphere have a long tail?

Solar-wind pressure compresses the dayside and stretches field lines into a magnetotail on the nightside.

What does magnetic reconnection do?

Reconnection changes the arrangement of field lines and allows energy and particles to enter the magnetosphere.

Why is auroral light usually strongest near the poles?

Magnetic field geometry guides many energetic particles toward the upper atmosphere near the magnetic poles.

What usually creates green auroral light?

Collisions excite oxygen atoms, which can release the stored energy as characteristic green light.

Why can a geomagnetic storm affect technology?

A storm changes the near-Earth electromagnetic environment, inducing currents and altering the ionosphere.

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