Polar lights generally have the shape of trails of draperies or veils.

1974 - David Evans presents evidence that auroral electrons are accelerated within 8000 km or so of Earth.

Birkeland also observes magnetic disturbances associated with the aurora, suggesting to him that localized "polar magnetic storms" exist in the auroral zone.

The Northern lights may appear for 5 minutes, or 10 minutes, or even for a half an hour – you never know!

Residents of northerly lattitudes were treated to the spectacle of brilliant aurora as curtains of green and white light danced across the sky.

While leading his annual aurora tour last month near Fairbanks in central Alaska, astrophotographer John Chumack and his company saw a most unusual aurora.

Where the currents intersect the ionosphere of Jupiter, an intense polar aurora is created--a process somewhat similar to the one responsible for aurora near Earth.

The more particles in the solar wind, the more chances we get for an auroral display as more particles collide with Earth’s magnetosphere.

The more particles in the solar wind, the more chances we get for an auroral display as more particles collide with Earth's magnetosphere.

The more particles in the solar wind, the more chances we get for an auroral display as more particles collide with Earth's magnetosphere.

The more particles in the solar wind, the more chances we get for an auroral display as more particles collide with Earth’s magnetosphere.

The truth started with a dream -- a dream that the spectacular Seljarlandsfoss waterfall in southern Iceland could be photographed with a backdrop of an aurora-filled sky.

In a broad sense, "meteor" meant virtually any atmospheric phenomenon, such as thunder, lightning, aurora, earthquake lights, rainfall, clouds, mist, dust devils, meteors, rainbows, halo, mirages...