The polar auroras are generally visible in the polar regions. These colourful veils in the sky are the result of solar activity. VIDEOGRAPHIC
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00:00Polar auroras are generally visible in the polar regions.
00:10They are called the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights in the Northern Hemisphere
00:14and the Aurora Australis or Southern Lights in the Southern Hemisphere.
00:18These colourful veils in the sky are the result of solar activity.
00:22Streams of gaseous matter, known as plasma, are regularly ejected from the Sun.
00:26These solar storms, also called electromagnetic storms,
00:30are accompanied by powerful electromagnetic radiation,
00:34notably charged particles such as electrons and protons.
00:38The shape of the Earth's magnetic field guides the majority of these particles
00:42towards the North and South Poles.
00:46These particles collide with the gases in the Earth's atmosphere,
00:50which generate flashes of light and make colours appear in the sky.
00:54Green and red in the case of oxygen and blue and violet for nitrogen.
00:58The stronger the solar storm, the more visible are the auroras at the poles.
01:02The electromagnetic storms can also disrupt human activities,
01:06notably telecommunications and electricity networks.