什么是北极光？极光的科学原理与颜色
北极光，又称极光（Aurora Borealis），是一种出现在高纬度地区夜空中的自然光现象。当太阳释放出的带电粒子随着太阳风抵达地球时，会被地球磁场引导进入高层大气，与氧气和氮气发生碰撞，从而释放出能量，形成绚丽的光芒。
极光最常见的颜色是绿色，但在强烈活动期间，也可能看到粉色、红色、紫色甚至蓝色。不同颜色取决于粒子碰撞的气体种类以及发生的高度。
极光通常出现在靠近地磁极的区域，这些地区被称为“极光带”，包括冰岛、斯堪的纳维亚、加拿大北部、格陵兰和俄罗斯北部。
在科学被理解之前，人们用神话解释极光。北欧神话认为它是女武神铠甲的反光，而冰岛民间传说则将极光与精灵和魔法联系在一起。
What Are the Northern Lights? Science and Colors Explained
The Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis, are a natural light display visible in high-latitude regions near Earth’s magnetic poles. They occur when charged particles from the Sun travel with the solar wind and collide with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere, releasing energy as light.
Green is the most common aurora color, but strong solar activity can produce pink, red, purple, or blue hues. Each color depends on the type of gas involved and the altitude of the collision.
Auroras appear most often in the auroral zone, which includes Iceland, Scandinavia, northern Canada, Greenland, and northern Russia.
Before science explained the phenomenon, cultures created myths around it. Norse legends believed the lights came from Valkyries’ armor, while Icelandic folklore connected them to elves and magic.
