In a rare celestial event, the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, graced the sky all across the United States for the first time in around two decades. This left people wondering why exactly this happened, what this could have meant, and where they could have gotten the chance to see this rare event.
While there is a scientific explanation as to why the Northern Lights occur, there are also many myths and legends that could also provide possible explanations.
The title “Aurora Borealis” comes from the Greek words “Aurora” meaning “sunrise” and “Boreas” meaning “wind.” The ancient Greeks believed Aurora to be the sister of Helios and Selene, god and goddess of the sun and moon. Legend says when she raced across the sky, it would signal the dawn of a new day, thus creating the Northern Lights.
In Europe, the Northern Lights are taken as a negative omen signaling anything from war to plague. This could be attributed to the fact that in Scotland and England, it is said that the skies shone red a few weeks prior to the French Revolution.
Finally in Finland, one of the many popular legends that has been passed down is the tale of the fox. It is said that the lights were caused by a firefox who ran so quickly across the snow that his tail caused sparks to fly into the night sky creating the aurora. Adding onto this, the Finnish word for Northern Lights is “revontulet” which directly translates to “firefox.”
In reality the true cause is much more complicated, but just as fascinating. The vibrant lights you see in the sky are created when magnetic storms occur that have been triggered by solar activities. Energetic charged particles from these events are carried from the Sun by solar wind. They are then launched along Earth’s magnetic field and collide with Earth’s gasses in the atmosphere. Those collisions then produce tiny flashes that fill the sky with colorful light.
But what does this mean for us? Well because of the magnetic energy the aurorae disturb the atmosphere, affecting radio waves. The solar wind could also add its own magnetic energy, creating the possibility of blown-out electric wire and cables. But this is not something to fret over, as solar storms this strong do not come around very often.
Anyone in the United States interested in seeing this spectacle was in luck seeing as they could be viewed on May tenth to 11th anywhere from Alabama to Northern Florida.
