12/10/2024
I got asked yesterday how come the Aurora wasn’t just green.
The colours depends on your location to the oval and more importantly how strong the display is.
This chart helps explain how different atoms in our atmosphere release different wavelengths of light.
Another key thing to note is the density of these atoms in our atmosphere and frequency of collisions has an impact on the colours too, this therefore is why we also see different colours at varying heights in our atmosphere.
Which answers another question, if green and red aurora is a result of oxygen atoms releasing light, how come we don’t have aurora closer to Earth? Why is is high above? This is because the concentration of oxygen atoms and are far higher towards the surface of Earth, the Solar wind cannot pe*****te through lower than typically 60 miles.
Very awesome I’m sure you will agree
