The Aurora Borealis (aka Northern Lights) are natural light displays in the sky, typically occuring in the ionosphere.
The Cree call this phenomenon the “Dance of the Spirits” and in Europe, in the Middle Ages, the auroras were commonly believed a sign from God.
They were named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas, by Pierre Gassendi in 1621.
Auroras can be spotted throughout the world and on other planets. They are most visible closer to the poles due to the longer periods of darkness and the magnetic field.
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