Journey of the Polar Lights Quiz

What causes the northern and southern lights to occur?

• Collision of high energy particles from the Sun with neutral atoms in the atmosphere

• Earth's rotation speed

• Impact of asteroids on the Earth's surface

• Volcanic eruptions

What is the outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere where protons and electrons creating the northern lights depart from?

• Corona

• Photosphere

• Chromosphere

• Radiative zone

What prevents the solar wind from traveling straight into the Earth and redirects the particles around the planet?

• Exosphere

• Ionosphere

• Magnetosphere

• Thermosphere

What happens when the magnetosphere is overwhelmed by a coronal mass ejection from the Sun?

• Generates a tsunami

• Triggers a volcanic eruption

• Causes a solar eclipse

• Creates a magnetic storm and flings particles towards Earth

What is the main reason for the different colors seen in the northern and southern lights?

• Cloud cover

• Time of day

• Distance from the Sun

• Wavelength of the atom's photon

Where are the polar lights best seen?

• Regions close to magnetic north and south poles

• Mountains

• Equator

• Deserts

Why is nighttime ideal for observing the Aurora?

• Aurora is more colorful at night

• Aurora is invisible during the day

• Aurora is brighter at night

• Aurora is much dimmer than sunlight

What should you pay attention to for predicting the auroras?

• Sun's energy patterns, specifically sunspots and solar flares

• Weather forecasts

• Tide patterns

• Moon phases