The Northern Lights

Something I've always wanted to experience is a phenomenon called, The Northern Lights. The Northern Lights, a.k.a Aurora Borealis, occurs when gaseous particles in the atmosphere collide with electrically charged particles from the sun, creating a stream of colors through the sky. The more solar activity there is, the better the show is. Aurora Borealis transpires in the northern and southern (Aurora Australis) hemispheres due to the placement of the magnetic poles. It stretches so far into the atmosphere, thousands of kilometers in fact, that astronauts are able to catch a view of it from the side rather than looking at it from below like us earthlings.

The name Aurora Borealis suits this occurrence all too well. The term derives from the names of two Gods. Aurora ("Eos" in latin) is the Roman goddess of the dawn and Borealis (Boreas), is Latin for the god of the north wind.

If your looking to witness the Aurora Borealis your going to want to head way north. Areas such as Iceland, Alaska, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, and Finnish Lapland are some of the most talked about regions to catch a glimpse.