Page:Illustrated Astronomy.pdf/46

 DID YOU KNOW THAT…

''...polar auroras happen when the terrestrial magnetic field deflects the electrically charged particles coming from the Sun, and when they come closer to Earth, they accelerate by electromagnetic force and not by gravity? Once they reach the Earth, they emit different colors due to their interaction with the atmospheric gases. Yellow and green are the result of the reaction of the particles to the oxygen, while red, violet, and blue are for reactions to the nitrogen.''