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Dancing Waves of Light

The aurora is born when energized particles are emitted from the sun’s corona creating a solar wind that slams into Earth’s upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million mph. The Earth’s magnetic field deflects the particles toward the poles. The bright colors of the northern and southern lights are determined by the chemical composition of the Earth’s atmosphere with nitrogen molecules producing red and oxygen molecules producing green. A cinematic atmospheric phenomenon these dancing waves of light continue to dazzle scientists and sky-watchers alike.