In the Northern Hemisphere, the effect is known as the northern lights or aurora borealis. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is called the southern lights or aurora australis.

The charged particles collide with atoms and molecules in Earth’s atmosphere, sending them into an excited state. The atoms and molecules then emit colored light as they release the extra energy and return to their ground state.

Solar winds send charged particles from the Sun into Earth’s magnetic field, where they follow Earth’s magnetic field lines. At the poles, where the lines intersect with Earth’s atmosphere, these particles create auroras.