The Science Behind the Northern Lights: An Explanation of Aurora Borealis.

The northern lights have been unusually active over the past few months due to solar storms that produce strong solar winds. Before the scientific explanation was determined, most cultures of northern regions had a variety of mythologies to explain this phenomenon. Today, we know that the northern lights are caused by solar winds colliding with gases and ions near the magnetic poles, forming aurora borealis in the northern hemisphere and aurora australis in the southern hemisphere.