5 guides
Understanding the aurora
What the aurora is, why it has the colours it has, and how the Sun, the solar wind and the solar cycle drive it.
What is the aurora? How the northern lights are made
The aurora is light from oxygen and nitrogen high in the atmosphere, switched on by electrons from space. Here is the physics, explained simply.
Aurora colours explained: why green, red and pink?
Green and red come from oxygen at different heights, purple and pink from nitrogen. And your eyes see a greyer aurora than your camera for a good reason.
Solar wind, Bz and speed: how to read real-time aurora data
Bz, Bt, speed and density explained: what the numbers in the solar wind plot mean for the aurora, and how far ahead they can really tell you anything.
The solar cycle: what the 2024 maximum means for the aurora now
Solar cycle 25 peaked in October 2024. How the declining phase affects the aurora in Norway, and why strong storms can still arrive.
Geomagnetic storms: G1 to G5, and what you see in Norway
CMEs, fast solar wind and NOAA's G-scale explained, with the great storms from Carrington in 1859 to May 2024 and what they meant for the aurora in Norway.