ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The northern lights can produce an incredible view! Those colors come from a process that starts well before they appear overhead.
It all begins with Earth’s magnetic field, an invisible shield that protects us from most of the radiation and charged particles coming from the Sun.
The Sun releases a powerful burst of energy known as a coronal mass ejection: a wave of charged particles races toward Earth. Our magnetic field guides that energy toward the poles.
As the particles enter the upper atmosphere, they collide with oxygen and nitrogen high above Earth’s surface. Each collision creates a tiny flash of light, and billions of flashes together form the glowing ribbons of an aurora…