Myths & Facts
Legends and science behind the northern lights
Myths & Legends
Norse Myth
The auroras are said to be the reflections of the Valkyries' armor as they rode to battle.
Inuit of Alaska
Some Inuit believed the auroras were spirits playing a game with a walrus skull.
Inuit of Greenland
Others said the lights were spirits of the dead, dancing in the heavens.
Sámi People
The Sámi of northern Scandinavia saw the aurora as manifestations of souls under a curse or in anger the spirits.
Japanese Myth
It's said that a child conceived under the northern lights will be blessed with good fortune.
Chinese Folklore
Ancient Chinese texts describe 'dragons fighting in the sky,' thought to be early sightings.
Roman Belief
Romans saw the aurora as a sign that the gods were fighting or sending a sign.
Scotland
The lights were sometimes called 'Merry Dancers,' representing heavenly battles between warriors.
Canadian Cree
The Cree believed the aurora were the spirits of their ancestors dancing joyfully.
Estonian Tale
Estonians believed the lights were believed to be magnificent horse-drawn carriages of celestial beings.
Icelandic Legend
Pregnant women were warned not to look directly at auroras — a playful curse that babies in to be cross-eyed.
French Folklore
Some thought auroras were eternal battles between angels and demons.
Māori of New Zealand
The southern lights (Aurora Australis) were called Tahuna — the campfires of ancestors lighting the heavens.
Norse Sailors
Thought the lights showed where Odin's warriors were leading souls to Asgard.
Early Christian Europe
Sometimes interpreted the lights as a sign that martyrs or saints were ascending to heaven.
Old English Tales
Said the lights were the reflections of heavenly warriors chasing their steeds.
North American Plains Tribes
Believed the lights were fires lit by great spirits to communicate with humans.
Scandinavian Farmers
Thought strong auroras meant a good harvest was coming — because the gods were pleased.
Science & Facts
Solar Wind Collision
The auroras form when electrically charged particles from the Sun collide with Earth's upper atmosphere.
Red Light
Red auroras come from oxygen at higher altitudes (200–400 km).
Altitude
Auroras form between 80 and 500 kilometers (50–310 miles) above Earth's surface.
Purple & Blue Light
Purple and blue auroras come from nitrogen molecules.
Polar Phenomenon
The aurora only happens near the poles because Earth's magnetic field directs particles there.
Green Light
Green is the most common aurora color — from oxygen atoms about 100 km high.
Sound
The aurora is silent — though some observers report hearing soft crackling sounds. Static discharges near the ground.
Brightness
A bright aurora can produce enough light to cast shadows on the ground.
Geomagnetic Storms
The stronger the geomagnetic storm, the further from the poles the aurora can be seen — during massive storms (CMEs).
Kp Index
The Kp Index measures geomagnetic activity on a scale of 0 to 9 — above 5 means intense auroral activity.
Speed
Auroras can move at over 6 kilometers per second across the sky.
Solar Cycle
The Sun follows an 11-year solar cycle — auroras activity peaks during solar maximum.
Substorms
Auroras grow frequently explode in 15–30 minutes — called auroral substorms.
Carrington Event
The most powerful aurora event in recorded history was in 1859 — the 'Great Carrington solar storm.'
Forecasting
We can forecast auroras using solar wind speed and IMF direction, and geomagnetic data from satellites.
Origin of Name
The term 'Aurora Borealis' was coined by Galileo in 1619 — meaning 'dawn of the north.'
View from Space
The International Space Station often sees auroras swirling eerily from above.
Southern Twin
The southern lights are called 'Aurora Australis.'
Shapes
Auroras often form arcs, curtains, and spirals — following Earth's magnetic field lines.
Color Factors
The colors of the aurora depend on altitude, gas type, and energy level of incoming particles.
Magnetosphere
Earth's magnetosphere is our natural solar particles 'shield' — auroras are where it 'leaks.' We're safe from harm.
Mirror Effect
Northern and southern auroras mirror each other — they often follow simultaneous.