Gallery of Auroras

  • By Lexi Krock
  • Posted 11.18.03
  • NOVA

If you've ever wondered why auroras only occur near the magnetic north and south poles, why they appear in different colors and shapes, and whether or not they happen on other planets, click through this slide show and find out as you view a collection of spectacular auroral displays.

Launch Interactive Printable Version

See spectacular images of the curtains of light that often grace dark skies near the North and South poles.

This feature originally appeared on the site for the NOVA program Magnetic Storm.

Credits

Photos and images

(Borealis over Stockholm)
© AFP/Corbis
(Borealis over Iceland)
© Torleif Svensson/Corbis
(Borealis over Alaska)
Paul A. Souders/Corbis
(Australis over Antarctica)
© NASA
(Earth at night)
© W. Sullivan/Photo Researchers
(Ultraviolet image)
© NASA/Photo Researchers
(North Pole from space)
NASA/Photo Researchers
(Jupiter aurora, Saturn aurora)
© NASA/Hubble Space Telescope
(animated auroras)
© NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and The University of Iowa

Related Links

  • At the Edge of Space

    Can scientists unravel the mysterious phenomena that lurk between Earth and space?

  • Lightning

    Experts still aren't sure what triggers lightning, but they suspect cosmic rays from outer space.

  • How Lightning Works

    It's like a giant spark in the sky, though with a few puzzling differences.

  • Magnetic Storm

    Study the magnetic fields around different shapes of magnets.

Close

You need the Flash Player plug-in to view this content.