Nov 20, 2024 · Here we learn what causes the different colors in the aurora borealis (northern lights) and the aurora australis (southern lights).

Yellow-Green [100-300 km (60- 180 mi)]: Vivid lime green is the most common color of the aurora. It comes from monatomic oxygen (O), but while the red aurora comes from oxygen absorbing solar radiation, green comes from oxygen atoms colliding with lower-energy electrons released by excited nitrogen molecules (N 2 + ).

1 day ago · The night sky in Wisconsin glows with the Northern Lights as a geomagnetic storm brings vibrant pink and green colors to a majority of the northern states, Oct. 10, 2024.

The majority of auroral displays are predominantly green for two reasons, the first of which is that the human eye detects green more readily than other colours. This is why photographic images of the Northern Lights will often show colours that were not visible at the time to the naked eye.

Green is the most common color seen in the northern lights. You see this color when the charged particles of the solar wind collide with oxygen molecules about 75 to 110 miles above the earth’s surface.

May 12, 2024 · Green northern lights, the most common, occur when particles interact with oxygen between 75 and 110 miles in altitude. If oxygen and nitrogen are “excited by the incoming particles” at the same...

Feb 3, 2025 · When solar particles collide with oxygen at these altitudes, we get green northern lights. Because most solar particles crash into the atmosphere at this altitude — and because the human eye is particularly sensitive to shades of green — …

The following colours can be seen when the northern lights are in the sky. Green: Green is the most common colour seen from the ground and is produced when charged particles collide with oxygen molecules at altitudes of 100 to 300 km.

The most common northern lights colour is green. It is produced when charged particles, mainly electrons, collide with oxygen molecules at altitudes around 60 to 150 miles (100 to 240 kilometres) above the Earth's surface.

Aug 23, 2023 · The Northern Lights are known for their vibrant display of colors that light up the night sky. These colors range from dazzling green and pale yellow to elusive red and ethereal purple. Each color tells a unique story of its interaction with the atmosphere.