The Northern Lights are a naturally occurring phenomenon in the magnetic north pole that also go by the moniker ‘Aurora borealis’. Similar lights appear in the south pole and are called ‘Aurora australis.’ Usually, the lights at both ends of the earth are almost copies, occurring at the same time in an uncanny mirroring of each other. The Northern Lights dance above the earth year-round, but are not always visible. Winter is a popular season for viewing expeditions, but the peak of their majesty only comes around every 11 years or so, the next one being in 2024.
People travel the world to see the vast wonder that is the colour and activity of the lights that ripple sometimes as far as 640 kilometres above the ground. Many who have experienced the phenomenon claim to have heard sounds coming from the lights themselves, but scientists were sure that no sound at that distance could be audible to a human ear – for reference, the outer layer of the atmosphere begins around 600 km above earth. The folklore surrounding the lights spurred one researcher’s attempt to record the elusive acoustics in 2011. Professor Unto K. Laine of Finland’s Aalto University found, by placing three microphones at the site of the aurora borealis, that it does in fact emit noise, and the noise discharges about 75 metres above the ground. His recordings can be found on the university’s YouTube channel and sound like the striking of a metal pole. The reason for the sound is still debated, explanations only theorized. Whatever the science behind the awesome lights and mystifying sounds of the aurora borealis, there is no doubt that it more than deserves to be one of the seven wonders of the natural world.