What Are the Northern Lights?

Part of What Was?

Illustrated by Robert Squier
Marvel at the mesmerizing northern lights by learning the history of the natural light show and the science behind how the aurora borealis works!

It takes three things for the northern lights to appear in the sky: a stream of charged particles, a magnetic field, and an atmosphere of certain gases. For much of history, however, this scientific recipe was unknown. The northern lights were thought to be something magical or supernatural: It was once believed that the lights were dragons fighting across the night sky. It wasn't until 1230 that people began to think that the aurora borealis could be created by a natural and remarkable phenomenon. This led to hundreds of years of different scientists carefully studying the lights through dangerous expeditions and magnetic experiments. In 1908, a scientist named Kristian Birkeland finally discovered the cause of the northern lights, and his theory is the one we still believe today. Learn all about the fascinating history of the northern lights in this book for young readers.
Sarah Fabiny is an author and editor living in New York City. View titles by Sarah Fabiny
Who HQ is your headquarters for history. The Who HQ team is always working to provide simple and clear answers to some of our biggest questions. From Who Was George Washington? to Who Is Michelle Obama?, and What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? to Where Is the Great Barrier Reef?, we strive to give you all the facts. Visit us at WhoHQ.com View titles by Who HQ

About

Marvel at the mesmerizing northern lights by learning the history of the natural light show and the science behind how the aurora borealis works!

It takes three things for the northern lights to appear in the sky: a stream of charged particles, a magnetic field, and an atmosphere of certain gases. For much of history, however, this scientific recipe was unknown. The northern lights were thought to be something magical or supernatural: It was once believed that the lights were dragons fighting across the night sky. It wasn't until 1230 that people began to think that the aurora borealis could be created by a natural and remarkable phenomenon. This led to hundreds of years of different scientists carefully studying the lights through dangerous expeditions and magnetic experiments. In 1908, a scientist named Kristian Birkeland finally discovered the cause of the northern lights, and his theory is the one we still believe today. Learn all about the fascinating history of the northern lights in this book for young readers.

Author

Sarah Fabiny is an author and editor living in New York City. View titles by Sarah Fabiny
Who HQ is your headquarters for history. The Who HQ team is always working to provide simple and clear answers to some of our biggest questions. From Who Was George Washington? to Who Is Michelle Obama?, and What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? to Where Is the Great Barrier Reef?, we strive to give you all the facts. Visit us at WhoHQ.com View titles by Who HQ
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