Northern Lights Understand ing th e natur al phenome na o f th e auro ra boreal is, o r mor e common ly kno wn a s th e Northe rn Ligh ts, ma y initial ly see m difficu lt howev er, a n understand ing o f th e fundamenta ls whi ch for ce suc h a n irreproduci ble eve nt simp ly expla in an d all ow anyo ne t o understa nd wh y suc h a thi ng happe ns. Th e Northe rn Ligh ts appe ar du e t o a n interacti on betwe en Earth 's atmospher ic gas es, o r the ir particl es t o b e specif ic, an d th e ion s emitt ed fro m th e su n. Th e gaseo us particl es cov er mos t o f th e surfa ce o f Ear th howev er w e noti ce th e Northe rn Ligh ts doesn 't occ ur al l ove r Ear th, rath er a t pol ar regio ns. Som e ma y assu me i t i s du e t o whe re ion s fro m th e su n ar e emitt ed howev er, i n reali ty i t i s relat ed t o Earth 's magnet ic fie ld. Whe n th e ion s ar e emitt ed towar ds th e Ear th, the y first ly intera ct wit h Earth 's magnet ic fie ld whi ch caus es the m t o forcib ly trav el alo ng fie ld lin es bac k an d for th. Thi s mea ns th e charg ed particl es ar e essential ly jus t bei ng push ed fro m on e pol ar regi on t o th e oth er whe re the y intera ct alo ng th e fie ld lin e wit h gaseo us particl es o f Earth 's atmosphe re an d s o th e Northe rn Ligh ts appe ar du e t o th e interacti on. Last ly, th e differe nt colou rs appe ar du e th e differe nt gas es o f Ear th suc h a s oxyg en an d nitrog en, bei ng th e mos t abunda nt gas es, an d s o w e hav e th e effe ct o f a multicolou red phenome na whi ch run s alo ng th e fie ld lin e o f opposi ng pol ar regio ns. Thi s explai ns wh y th e Northe rn Ligh ts occ ur du e t o th e fundamenta ls o f physi cs whi ch for ce the m t o.