Aurora : The Mysterious Northern Lights

by Candace Savage

pp. 144, contains many color and black and white photographs and illustrations.signed and inscribed by the author on title page

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature

144 pages, Hardcover

First published September 10, 1994

Reviews

[Katherine Cowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you know that for every time there are Northern Lights they are mirrored by coordinating Southern Lights over Antarctica? Or that in some mythologies, if you disturbed the Northern Lights people believed the lights might decapitate you or whisk you away?

To me, this is the ideal for nonfiction–educational and entertaining. A mix of science and mythology, of past and present. It’s filled with great photography and has a beautiful layout. And the writing is stellar. My favorite quote from the book:

By rights, we humans ought to live in constant wonderment, amazed by every star, cloud, tree, leaf, feather, fish and rock. Amazed by the supreme improbability of our own intricate existence. But except for a gifted few (artists and mystics), we lack the stamina for so much mystery. It takes a shock–a sudden burst of beauty–to wake us to the wonder of our reality.

I loved reading this book. It really just made me want to learn again, about everything from astronomy to electromagnetics to Aristotle to mythology. And if something can reinvigorate my love for learning, it’s well worth the read.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

*read for research purposes*

[Manasi Kulkarni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always been fascinated by the magnanimous display of lights over the polar regions. The mysteries engulfed by this phenomenon are awe-inspiring. Over the course of years, people have come up with various theories supporting the occurrence of the auroras. Ranging from superstitions, omens, to scientific discoveries, a lot has been said and experimented with the show of polar lights. The author intricately captures all the theories made over the years as well as the important contributions by astronomers and scientists in proving this phenomenon.

The auroras (specifically, Aurora Borealis in the northern hemisphere and Aurora Australis in the southern hemisphere) are a natural display of lights in the higher latitudes of both hemispheres. They are caused as a result of disturbances in the Earth’s magnetosphere due to changes in the solar wind. The sun is an actively reactive body and the reactions release charged particles such as electrons, protons, alpha particles, and kinetic energy from the sun's upper atmosphere. When the solar wind reaches a planet’s magnetosphere, it causes a reaction resulting in the emission of lights of different colors. Such reactions not only take place on Earth but also on other planets such as Jupiter. The solar wind is also responsible for other phenomena such as geomagnetic storms or the plasma tails from the comets. All these facts available today are a result of extensive research and experimentation carried over the polar regions throughout the years.

During the initial sightings of the auroras, it was believed by many communities as an act of God or even an ill omen. Until recent times, people were scared by this display. It was only due to the efforts of quite a dozen scientists and astronomers, who kept racking their brains over this mystery, that we have an answer today. All the contributions are of extreme significance and it won’t be fair to name just a few. For that reason, it is necessary to read about the individual efforts of each person. Also, it is important to note that the book does not include scientific language or mathematical equations, which makes it reach a number of audiences from various backgrounds. It might seem dull in the beginning, as it mostly covers the myths surrounding this occurrence, however, it is vital to know how the explanations have changed over the course of time. And that is the gist of this book - to explore the myths and science behind the auroras.

The author has done a wonderful job in listing all the events behind the occurrence, and the amount of research and time put into the findings is evident across every single page. She has also listed a few sources to track the occurrences, such as https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/, which provides a forecast of the geomagnetic storms and actual auroral occurrence. A few days ago, I came across a live camera located underneath the auroral oval in Manitoba, Canada, which we can tune-in to at any time to watch this beautiful display from the comfort of our homes: https://explore.org/livecams/zen-den/...

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this - I learned so many new things on practically every page and that doesn't happen often when I come across a subject that is so foreign to me. Beautifully written and researched. Gorgeous photos too!

[Tiffany-Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful auroras! Interesting books. Learned some neato facts. A little too technical for my liking but worth it.