Auroras are natural light phenomenon that occur when charged particles from the Sun make contact with Earth's magnetosphere. As the particles release energy, they give off many different colored lights in shimmering bands.

When an aurora occurs, it means that a solar event has happened and has been "blocked" by the Earth's magnetosphere. Without this shield in place, all life on Earth would have been wiped out by solar anomalies long ago. Plasma jets, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections are all blocked by the magnetosphere and redirected, creating auroras.

Auroras that occur in the northern hemisphere are called "Aurora Borealis", and those in the southern hemisphere are "Aurora Australis".