The Chemistry and History Behind the Northern Lights
First observed by the ancient Chinese and Greeks more than 2,000 years ago, the northern lights, or aurora borealis, have been an unexplained source of wonder for many generations of people, typically appearing at high latitudes such as in Alaska, Norway, and Canada. Now that science allows us to know why and even when they may occur, seeing the lights is still a sought-out wonder that remains on countless people’s bucket lists. But many are checking this item off sooner than expected as the conditions that cause the phenomenon are at their highest peak, causing the lights to spread much further south than normal.
These far-reaching lights are due to highly charged particles, mostly electrons, being ejected from the sun in solar flares. These molecules are carried all the way through space to Earth’s magnetic shield. When the excited particles reach Earth’s high atmosphere, they collide with gas molecules in the air such as oxygen, nitrogen, and argon. The electrons in the molecules are bumped up to a higher energy level, and when the electrons calm back down and return to ground state, they give out energy in the form of light.
Each gas emits a different color of light at a different level of the atmosphere. Oxygen produces green from 60–120 miles above the ground, and red occurs above 120 miles. Excited nitrogen gas molecules from 60–120 miles cause blue or pink colors to appear, and above 120 miles it gives the lower edge of the aurora a red glow.
The sun is in its most active phase of solar activity right now, when it gives off repeated solar flares and coronal mass ejections. The sun’s unstable magnetic field switches direction around every 11 years, and at this time charged particles are moved around and spewed out in all directions. This peak last occurred in 2024, so we are still experiencing the effects of these particles making auroras in Earth’s atmosphere.
The lights were seen in the topmost northern states of the U.S. multiple times throughout the month of November, and a few lucky people could even view them from Oregon. These opportunities will continue to occur into 2026 as the sun’s activity is still very strong.
To the Inuit indigenous people of Alaska, the lights were the spirits of their departed loved ones, engaged in a beautiful dance to provide guidance to the living. This is one of countless spiritual interpretations that cultures have for the lights, and from the very first record of the event by the Ancient Greeks, the dancing colors have mesmerized and inspired awe.
For your best chance of spotting the aurora, the next time there’s reports of solar flare activity, drive out of the city. The light pollution in Eugene makes it much harder to see the northern lights, so head to a rural area like the mountains or the coast. Face the northern horizon between 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., and if you can’t see the dancing lights with just your eyes, try using a phone camera or a camera with long exposure to capture more vivid colors. Happy viewing, and as you watch the beautiful swirls of color, think of the amazing impact these lights have had on humanity across chemistry, physics, and history.
Article by Alaya Drummond