That's right, an aurora. I asked Mr Pines and he explained it to me. He said that they are also sometimes referred to as the Polar Lights or Northern Lights and that they usually seen in high latitudes. They occur when the magnetosphere is disturbed by solar winds. When this happens, the charged particles -- which is to say, the electrons and protons -- in the magnetospheric plasma and in the solar wind are pushed upwards into upper levels of the atmosphere, namely the exosphere and thermosphere. Here the energy in those particles breaks down and leads to the emission of light which is what we see.
text;
He said that they are also sometimes referred to as the Polar Lights or Northern Lights and that they usually seen in high latitudes. They occur when the magnetosphere is disturbed by solar winds. When this happens, the charged particles -- which is to say, the electrons and protons -- in the magnetospheric plasma and in the solar wind are pushed upwards into upper levels of the atmosphere, namely the exosphere and thermosphere. Here the energy in those particles breaks down and leads to the emission of light which is what we see.