5 Fun Facts About the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
1. The Northern Lights are featured in Norse mythology - One Norse legend has the lights as reflections from the shield and armor of the Valkyries.
2. Some Europeans saw the Aurora as a harbinger of war - Not everyone associated the lights with gods or positivity. In fact, in the British Isles, the skies were said to have ‘blazed red' just a few weeks before the French Revolution.
3. Japanese culture associates the Aurora with luck - The aurora legends also include fertility!
4. The Northern Lights occur around 100km above the earth - When you're watching an especially strong Northern Lights display, it can seem as if you could almost reach out and touch them. But in actual fact, the lights are high up in our planet's atmosphere.
5. They are only visible when it's dark, but they can occur at any time - Contrary to what some people think, the aurora borealis can occur at any time of day. However, our eyes need darkness to be able to perceive them.
Featured photo by Dylan Shaw via Unsplash.
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