University of Science and Technology

Houari Boumedienne

Faculty of geophysics

Aurora borealis
Summary:
• History of aurora borealis and etymology.
• What is an aurora borealis ?
• Causes of aurora borealis and by what it produce?
• Colors and wavelengths of auroral light.
• Forms of aurora borealis.
• The effects of polar auroras on the environment and man's facilities
• conclusion
History and Etymology of aurora borealis :
Aurora borealis have been observed forever and probably in ancient times, both in the
West and in China, it were considered as snakes or dragons in the sky.
• In 593 J.C, the Greeks would have seen aurora borealis.Then Galileo was the first to
name them by name but did not know how to explain them.
A Norwegian has successfully associated auroras with the electrical phenomena created
in the atmosphere by solar particles.
• The word "aurora" is derived from the name of the Roman goddess of the dawn Aurora,
who travelled from east to west announcing the coming of the sun. Ancient Roman
poets used the name metaphorically to refer to dawn, often mentioning its play of colors
across the otherwise dark sky (e.g., "rosy-fingered dawn").
 What is an aurora borealis:
• A polar aurora (also called aurora borealis in the northern hemisphere and aurora
australis in the southern hemisphere) is a luminous phenomenon characterized
by extremely colored veils in the night sky, they appear as spots or bands of light,
often striated, a little like light curtains swaying in a draft. They have different
shapes: bows, draperies, filaments, crowns, flames ....
Aurora borealis can be seen in regions close to the magnetic pole ,in an annular
zone called “auroral zone’’ ,at latitudes between 65° and 75° North (in regions like
Scandinavia, Alaska, North Siberian, Canada) or South (near Antarctica), so they
are called aurora australis.
Causes :
It is at the scale of the solar system that we must place ourselves to explain the
phenomenon of the aurora borealis. The Sun is full of energy and expels charged
particles (protons, electrons, ions) via the solar wind. When these particles
approach the Earth we are mostly protected by its magnetic field, Going from one
pole to another, it forms more or less deformed circular arcs around the Earth. The
thinnest parts of this magnetic field are at the poles.some particles reach the poles
and come into contact with the atmosphere. It is the chemical reactions between
the particles charged with the solar wind and the atoms of the atmosphere that
cause the aurora borealis.
• ). . In case of intense solar magnetic activity, the auroral arc expands and
begins to invade areas much closer to the equator. The polar aurora due to
the solar eruption of 1859 "descended" to Honolulu and to Singapore in
September 1909 reaching the tenth degree of south latitude. In October and
November 2003, an aurora borealis was observed in southern Europe. A
phenomenon of exceptional magnitude occurred on October 24, 2014, visible
in North America and Northern Europe.
 Colors and wavelengths of auroral light:
The phenomenon usually has 3 basic colors (green, yellow and red),
but about 25 different colors can be observed. The lowest colors are
bluish purple. Green is the most common color and occurs at heights of
100 to 200 km. Red at heights of 200 km and more. The low luminosity
of the aurora makes that they are observable most often only at night.
• The color is related to the wavelength, it will depend on the type of
atom or molecule that will emit the photon, but also the altitude. The
most energetic particles will go deeper into the magnetosphere. They
will go closer to the ground and will communicate more energy to the
struck atoms. The frequency of the photons emitted will then be
greater. The wavelengths (λ = v / f) will therefore be shorter and will be
closer to the violet. Nitrogen atoms (N2), which at 100 km altitude
emit a purple or blue line very little visible (427nm),
Oxygen atoms (O), which at 100 km altitude emit a yellow-green line
(557 nm),
Oxygen atoms (O), which at more than 250 km altitude produce a dark
red color (630 nm),
Nitrogen atoms (N2), which at more than 250 km altitude produce a
red color (520 nm).
Forms of aurora:
• According to Clark (2007), there are four main
forms that can be seen from the ground, from
least to most visible,
• Different A mild glow, near the horizon. These
can be close to the limit of visibility, but can be
distinguished from moonlit clouds because
stars can be seen undiminished through the
glow.
1. Patches or surfaces that look like clouds.
2. Arcs curve across the sky.
3. Rays are light and dark stripes across arcs,
reading upwards by various amounts.
4. Coronas cover much of the sky and diverge
from one point on it.
 The effects of polar auroras on the environment and man's facilities

1-Consequence on human installations:

• Disturbance of the air network .
• GPS disruption.
• Disturbance of satellites.
• Disturbances of power grids and on telephone cables.
• Fluctuation of the intensity of the magnatic induction ,mainly the horizontal component.
• Variation of the compass needle .
2. Consequence on the earth:
• The polar aurora and the climate: The aurora were a sign of good weather in some regions, while in other regions they
were a sign of winds and storms. In the last century, it could be said that auroras and stormy weather were the result of the
same phenomenon, but with different forms of electric shocks. In northern Norway, auroras were often associated with cold
weather.
• Consequences on the man: The solar wind, one of the factors which trigger the auroras polar presents a risk and
important damages For the men, these winds being charged with radius dangerous for the human body their penetration in
the living cells can destroy some chromosomes, cause genetic diseases, skin cancer, and a host of other health problems.
Anticipation of aurora
• On ne peut prévoir l'époque ni même la forme que prendront les
aurores polaires. Une gigantesque éruption solaire pourrait engendrer
une aurore spectaculaire, alors qu'une éruption solaire similaire
quelques mois plus tard pourrait ne rien provoquer du tout.
Cependant, certaines années sont plus favorables aux aurores
polaires que d'autres.
Conclusion :
We can not predict the period or even the form that polar auroras will
take. A gigantic solar flare could trigger a spectacular dawn, while a
similar solar flare a few months later might not provoke anything at all.
However, some years are more favorable to polar aurora than others.
Also we must say that the aurora borealis bring inconveniences but also
advantages but one will retain this phenomenon only its magneficient
beauty.
Thank you for your attention