A magical display of significant proportion glistens in the twilight sky far from city life. Pulsating colors of green, blue and ghostly white appear as the heavens open their gates for a short moment in time. This spectacle, identified as the Aurora Borealis, is one of natures most treasured and hidden gems. The key to viewing and understanding this phenomenon lies within the following words.
North Conway's weather is primarily controlled by the earth's atmosphere. Clouds, precipitation, and wind originate from our atmosphere. Believe it or not, space has its own form of atmosphere, but in different context. Extending far from the sun towards the Earth is a region of space known as the Sun-Earth environment. This region acts like a vacuum that is dominated by electromagnetic radiation and particles from the sun. The changing conditions in the Sun-Earth environment are commonly referred to as Space Weather.
Development of the Aurora Borealis is partly due to solar wind, which is one of the main features to the Sun-Earth environment. This wind is a collection of high-energized streamers of ionized gas that are ejected from the sun. The solar wind streaks toward the earth in a continuous rush at over 2,000,000 M.P.H. Some of these electrons become trapped in the earth's magnetic field, which is our saving grace from the harsh and volatile realities of space. The trapped electrons accelerate towards the magnetic polar regions of earth and are then pushed into the upper level region of our atmosphere.
The Aurora Borealis begins its majestic show due to an interaction of high-energy particles from space with oxygen and nitrogen from earth. This collision excites the particles as they absorb energy and are pushed into a higher state. Once they do return to normal state, visible light appears in the sky. The interaction occurs in an oval shaped region that extends 3,000 kilometers from its center near the North Pole. During a time that the earth's magnetic field is highly disturbed, the oval will extend outward. The Aurora Borealis will then become present over our region.
Like that of New England's climate, the Aurora Borealis changes continuously. The colors of the phenomenon can range from red and yellow to green and purple. The intensity can also vary as if it would want to explode. Believe it or not, the Aurora Borealis may even decide to dance for you. Want to view this dance? Regions of the Kankamangus Highway and Cathedral Ledge behold some of the finest spots to view the rare beauty. Since you have become an expert into the production of the Aurora Borealis, it is my hope that you will soon experience nature at its greatest.