Aurora |
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High energy particles from the Van Allen radiation
belts stream into the upper atmosphere which behaves like a giant
low pressure gas-discharge tube. Above 100 km, excited atoms
of oxygen and nitrogen emit mostly in the red and green respectively.
Aurora most frequently occur near magnetic latitudes 67° North and 67° South. The displays are most often called Northern lights because many people live at magnetic latitude 67° North but very few inhabit 67° South. |
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Fairbanks Alaska