Skywatchers View Rare Red Auroras Through Naked Eye

Skywatchers and photographers were enthralled by the mesmerizing northern lights that were visible around the Arctic Circle in Finland on Saturday. Red auroras can also be seen briefly.
According to Euronews, locals claim it is extremely rare to see such red auroras with the naked eye because they typically appear in other color spectrums.

Northern Lights

The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, are a variety of multicolored natural illuminations brought on by interactions between the Earth's magnetic field and solar winds.
NASA released a video in August 2021 from the International Space Station, which was orbiting 271 miles above the southern Indian Ocean between Asia and Antarctica. The video depicts the aurora australis as it streams across the Earth's atmosphere.

The aurora is a display of light in the night sky and is named after the Roman goddess of dawn. The northern and southern poles are home to the aurora borealis and aurora australis, also known as the northern lights and southern lights, respectively.

Aurora Borealis Formation

The aurora borealis, also referred to as the Northern Lights, is brought on by interactions between solar wind and gas molecules that are located very high in our atmosphere. Solar wind, which contains charged protons, electrons, and alpha particles, is constantly emitted by our sun, which is located 150 million kilometers (93 million miles) away.

A portion of the solar wind that is emitted in all directions finds its way to the Earth and typically arrives here 40 hours after leaving the sun. The oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the ionosphere become excited and start to glow as a result of the charged particles' collisions with those molecules. The Northern Lights are the light the gases emit.

Various Colors of Northern Lights

According to Special Tours, the various colors of the northern lights are related to the types of gas molecules being excited and their altitude. Pale green auroras are the most typical color and are brought on by excited oxygen molecules about 100 km (62 mi) above the surface of the Earth. Oxygen also contributes to pink and red auroras, but at much higher altitudes, at about 300 km (186 mi).

The rarest colors, purple and blue, are produced when nitrogen molecules are excited at various altitudes. The Northern Lights' intensity and color can change from night to night and even minute to minute. Be aware that different people may perceive auroras differently depending on the brightness of the aurora, their level of acclimatization to the darkness, their age, and their level of color blindness.

The amount of energy released during a moderate to large auroral display, which can last up to three hours, is roughly comparable to a small nuclear explosion.

ALSO READ: How to Watch the Northern Lights Virtually

Best Way to View Northern Lights

A display typically occurs several times throughout the night and lasts a few minutes. The hours before midnight are when auroral activity is at its peak.

According to Discover the World, get away from city lights if you want to see the Northern Lights because light pollution can and will significantly reduce your chances of seeing them. Your chances of seeing the Northern Lights will be maximized in dark areas with little to no cloud cover, and you will enjoy the auroras much more. Sail away from the city lights. Once you are out of the city, you can start keeping an eye out for the magnificent Northern Lights.

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