The words Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) are latin for 'the dawn of the north', and were first used by Galileo in circa 1620 to describe the red northern lights phenomenon.
The aurora borealis is caused through the interaction between solar wind and the earth's magnetic field. At times the lights appear as streams across the night sky from west to east and other times they dance and wave rhythmically as veils of red, yellow, green and blue.
The common name is Northern Lights (northern hemisphere) and the corresponding "Aurora australisis" in the southern hemisphere have a common name of Southern Lights.
Make sure to see all our Northern Lights Photos and Pictures. We also have a great story online about the Aurora borealis.
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