The myths behind the south and north lights

[rashore]

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Throughout human history, people have witnessed the aurora, both the northern and southern lights, and sought to explain and make sense of these dancing patterns in stories and myths.

In the modern world, science has revealed most of the secrets of the northern lights (aurora borealis) and southern lights (aurora australis). We understand that auroras form when solar particles collide with Earth’s upper atmosphere. Larger solar storms cause a greater influx of particles, which can cause auroras to reach lower latitudes and appear to a greater number of observers. The colors of the aurora are determined by which gases are excited by the solar plasma.

All this scientific knowledge slowly started accumulating more than 2 1/2 centuries ago. But even now, when we look up at the trembling curtains of red, green or blue, a feeling of awe and mystery can pervade this ghostly show. It’s easy to see how many of these centuries-old myths referred to an otherwise unreachable world.

https://earthsky.org/human-world/legends-folklore-myths-northern-southern-lights-auroras