what makes the northern lights happen

The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) happen when charged particles from the Sun collide with atoms and molecules high in Earth’s atmosphere, and the collisions emit light that we see as colorful curtains or arcs near the polar regions. This phenomenon is driven by the solar wind and solar storms, which send streams of charged particles toward Earth. When these particles encounter Earth’s magnetic field, they are guided toward the polar regions and penetrate the upper atmosphere, where they excite oxygen and nitrogen atoms and molecules. As these excited atoms return to their ground state, they release photons, producing the visible lights. The different colors (greens, pinks, purples, reds) arise from the types of atmospheric gases involved and the altitude at which the collisions occur. The intensity and shape of the displays are influenced by geomagnetic activity, which can be heightened by events on the Sun such as coronal mass ejections and solar flares.