Lighting Up the Sky

Sometimes, spectacular colored lights appear in the night sky around the North Pole. This dazzling site/sight is called the aurora borealis, or northern lights. (Lights appear around the South Pole too; they are called the aurora australis, or southern lights.) The lights may last from a few minutes to a few days. Some of the best sites/sights from which to view the northern lights are Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, northern Canada, and Alaska. Let’s pack our bags!

Over the centuries, different cultures have come up with various explanations for the aurora borealis. According to an Inuit folktale, the aurora borealis is the site/sight of a soccer-like game being played by the spirits in the sky. In Sweden centuries ago, it was thought to be light reflecting off the scales of fish. The Meskwaki people of North America believed the lights were the souls of their defeated enemies. Catching site/sight of the lights was considered bad luck.

The auroras start when superhot solar winds hurtling through space crash into our atmosphere. These solar winds get pushed off to the North and South Poles, where they mix with gases in the atmosphere to produce glorious curtains of colors in the sky. The auroras are best viewed from sites/sights without a lot of artificial light. They’re an unforgettable site/sight for anyone who has a chance to see them.