List Of Chemistry Of Northern Lights References. This stream of charged particles, primarily electrons and protons, hurtles away from the sun at speeds of about 1 million miles per hour. Web the short answer is that nitrogen and oxygen in the upper atmosphere release light in specific colors in response to solar radiation.

The sky could bring an early holiday gift for some lucky stargazers thursday night: The aurora references the roman goddess of the dawn, and borealis is the greek name. Think of it as a cosmic painter, using the.