Abstract
The paper explains that Aurora Borealis is a high atmospheric phenomenon which most frequently appears as moving ribbons of various-colored light in the nighttime sky of high latitude areas. The paper discusses how due to their dimness, these ribbons of light can only be seen by ground-based observers at night although it is presumed that the phenomenon which causes them also takes place during the day. The paper relates that auroras may vary substantially in appearance, changing their color, speed of motion, and also varying in brightness; unusually sudden increases in brightness are referred to "auroral substorms."

From the Paper
"The Aurora Borealis is a high atmospheric phenomenon which most frequently appears as moving ribbons of various-colored light (usually light green or simply white) in the nighttime sky of high latitude areas. Due to their dimness, these ribbons of light can only be seen by ground-based observers at night although it is presumed that the phenomenon which causes them also takes place during the day. Auroras may vary substantially in appearance, changing their color, speed of motion, and also varying in brightness; unusually sudden increases in brightness are referred to "auroral substorms" (Stern, para. 7.) The term aurora derives from the..."

Tags:aurora, magnetosphere, solar wind

Abstract
This paper examines the astronomical phenomenon of Aurora, more specifically the aurora borealis commonly known as northern lights. This essay examines the scientific understanding of their origins, the colors and images that result and concludes with consideration of the mythical and aesthetic links to the northern lights.

Abstract
This paper examines the time history of events and macroscale interactions during substorms as observed by the THEMIS mission, designed and launched by NASA in 2008, staffed by researchers from the United States, Canada and many European countries. In particular, the paper investigates how this mission and the Cassini mission determined that the color of the auroras depends on the type of gasses involved in the collision of particles during these substorms. The paper concludes that, by studying the earth's auroras and the auroras of other nearby planets, scientist can develop new insight into what other stars and the objects around them may be like. Color photographs are included in the paper.

From the Paper
"The auroras have been admired since earth began (or at least since there have been communities far enough north or south to view them!). These people developed many myths that attempted to explain the northern and southern lights. Some cultures believed that the lights were gods dancing. Others thought of them as the spirits of the dead. Some viewed them as good omens and went to war based on the appearance of the auroras. Others felt that they were symbols of divine anger and avoided all types of activity during times of intense colors in the auroras."

Tags:substroms, electrons, magnetosphere, satellites, saturn

Abstract
Space weather is a normal bombardment of the earth by particles and emissions from the sun interacting with the magnetic field of the earth. This process produces collisions in the atmosphere leading to colorful displays in the atmosphere known as aurora, the best known of which is the aurora Borealis. Aurora can occur on the day and the night sides of the earth, and they can take different forms depending on the source of the particles, the type of particles involved, and other elements that may vary from case to case.

From the Paper
Abstract Space weather is a normal bombardment of the earth by particles and emissions from the sun interacting with the magnetic field of the earth. This process produces collisions in the atmosphere leading to colorful displays in th atmosphere known as aurora, the best known of which is the aurora Borealis. Aurora can occur on the day and the night sides of the earth, and they can take different forms depending on the source of the particles, the type of particles involved, and other elements that may vary from case to case. The basics of space weather and aurora ar explained.

Tags:space, weatehr, aurora

Abstract
The paper defines the term 'aurora' and explains what causes these luminous arcs and swirls of light to appear at different times during the year. It explains the difference between the auroras of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere and the effect that the sun, in the form of solar wind, has on auroras.

From the Paper
"One of the reasons that the auroras seem so mysterious to us is that they are a product of magnetism, which is a force that most of us are at least generally familiar with but one that is also, of course, invisible. Because both magnetism and the plasma field around the earth (which is simply a cluster or layer of charged particles) are invisible, we cannot see the physical underpinnings of the auroras, making them seem highly mysterious to us."

Tags:borealis, australis, astronomer, magnetic, poles, hydrogen