Aurora Australis, Southern Lights, Aurora Polaris, Polar Lights, Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. Different names for a dazzling natural phenomenon: Bright dancing lights. These auroral displays can be seen above the magnetic poles of the southern and northern hemispheres. Depending on the location of their occurrence the names differ: The names Aurora Polaris or Polar Lights can be used for all lights, no matter where. Aurora Australis and Southern Lights on the contrary are names for lights found in the southern hemisphere. And Aurora Borealis and Northern lights are names for those in the northern hemisphere.
The lights are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth’s atmosphere. Auroral displays can be seen in many different colours although pink and pale green are the most common. The shapes of the lights vary from streamers or arcs to patches or scattered clouds. The best places to see them is near the magnetic poles in areas that aren’t subject to light-pollution.
