Charged particles are continually given off by the sun. They are known as the Solar Wind and are strongest when sunspot activity is at its height. Sun spots are the darker areas on the surface of the sun. These areas of cooler gas occur when the Sun’s magnetic field blocks the flow of heat from the core.
When the Solar Wind reaches the earth’s magnetic field, the charged particles interact with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere 10 Km (6 Miles) above the surface.
This interaction causes the particles to send out light, seen from earth as an fantastic light show, best visible from within the Arctic and Antarctic circles. In the northern hemisphere, this is known as the AURORA BOREALIS, and in the southern hemisphere as the AURORA AUSTRALIS.
