The Best Aurora Borealis What Causes The Northern Lights &Amp Ideas. The lights we see in the night sky are in actual fact caused by activity on the surface of the sun. Web science explainer why the northern lights are showing up in unexpected places the aurora borealis and aurora australis have dazzled us in the night sky for centuries.
The aurora borealis or northern lights are seen mainly near the arctic circle. The last peak was the weakest in a century. A l ive web camera at the university of north dakota located in inkster showed dazzling displays of green, red, and even purple pillars of aurora just after 6 a.m.