Historical Perspectives: The Northern Lights - Podcasts for Kids

The Northern Lights  is to be used with the resource Historical Perspectives from Mr. Mault's Marketplace on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Check out all of the Historical Perspective packs by clicking here.
These packs are the perfect way to have your students learn about history, while reading, writing, and thinking deeply about primary sources.

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Imagine standing under a sky ablaze with vibrant hues, courtesy of the magnificent Northern Lights. How about getting swept away in the ethereal beauty of the Aurora Australis? We're setting off on an astral adventure that shines a light on these breathtaking, celestial spectacles, reveals their scientific secrets, and delivers a passport to the best viewing spots around the world.

Painting a vivid picture of these celestial spectacles, we unravel the science behind the Sun's constant ‘sneeze’ of energy-rich particles, which travel at staggering speeds of 45 million miles per hour to create these dramatic light displays. We traverse the globe, from Iceland to Minnesota, revealing the prime viewing locations and times for the Northern Lights. And for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere, we discuss the equally enchanting Aurora Australis. Whether you're an intrepid traveler, a casual observer, or just marveling at National Geographic’s stunning digital gallery, we’ve got you covered. Embark on this journey with us as we explore the magic and mystery of the world's most beautiful light shows.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:22

The Northern Lights. Long ago, when people didn't understand what they saw happening in the sky, they made up magical stories. Roman myths were some of those magical stories. The names of their gods for dawn and wind were later combined in the term Aurora Borealis. This magical name refers to the most beautiful, violent sky show on Earth. It is also called the Northern Lights.

Speaker 1: 0:54

Nature is the painter of this stunning green light show. It truly rivals any fireworks finale ever created. But what is it exactly? Basically, it's the Sun. In a sort of constant sneeze. The Sun creates its own wind full of energized particles. These particles hit the upper atmosphere of Earth at super fast speeds. Particles from a human sneeze can travel at speeds up to 100 miles an hour. That's fast, but it's nothing compared to the ejected particles from the Sun those travel as fast as 45 million miles per hour. When they hit the Earth's atmosphere, their energy releases and turns into explosions of light. The beautiful colors it paints across the sky are actually millions of crashes in magnetic fields.

Speaker 1: 1:58

This awesome event is adored by scientists and travelers around the world. If a person is in the right place at the right time, they can see it all with their naked eye, although the Sun is sending these particles constantly. There are details to consider for the best view. A very dark sky improves the experience. The darkest skies happen November through February near the North Pole, and staying up for a midnight viewing also enhances the show. Scientists predict that the brightest colors will happen again in 2025 at the North Pole. Views are also available near the South Pole, where it's called the Aurora Australis For the Northern Lights. Nasa recommends viewing from Iceland, but Sweden, norway, greenland and Finland have front row seats too. Travelers can even see them from Canada, alaska and even Minnesota sometimes. National Geographic offers some of the best online photographs of both events. Scientists still study the Northern and Southern Lights events because all of the questions haven't been answered yet. They're still unexplained magic, but there's no debating the magical experience of seeing one of nature's most beautiful shows.