Aurora Borealis. Sounds like a pig.

 Though Aurora Borealis sounds like a species of pig, do not worry, this blog post is not about pigs! It's about the Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis. These awesome light shows start from about 93 million miles away on the sun. So if you have never noticed them, you have made these particles travel 93 million miles for nothing. I hope you're happy with yourself.

Now that the guilt show is done, let's get down to the science. When explosions called solar flares occur on the surface of the sun, plasma, meaning high charged particles, are sent flying into outer space. The ones that come in contact with Earth hit the Magnetosphere (No, this is not a field created by Magneto for all X-men fans out there). This Magenetosphere is a constant flow of charged particles around the Earth. Once plasma comes in contact with this Magnetosphere, it is sent flying towards the magnetic poles. Yes, for once getting into a collision is a good thing.

It is on this course towards the magnetic pole when the amazing colors in the sky are created. Remember plasma particles have a high charge, so when they come in contact with other molecules in the atmosphere, such as oxygen, they make these bright colors. Maybe the collision between these forms of matter cause the electrons of the air molecules to enter excited state, and when they return to ground state, they release energy in the form of the light that we see. So see when you learn one thing in chemistry, like the movement of electrons, you try to find an opportunity to relate it to everything. This is what life has come to. Read more in the article: http://www.mtu.edu/news/stories/2012/october/story78941.html

Besides providing natural entertainment, this chain of collisions with plasma and air molecules can also affect society. In the extreme case, it can bring down satellites and power grids. Maybe these plasma particles are intentionally bringing down power grids so you'll finally notice them! The things matter will do to get noticed! These collisions can also cause the magnetic field to fluctuate. This could provide complications for navigation systems that still use compasses even though most people today use GPS... But still! Just pay attention to these lights, or who knows what these particles might do next.