Aurora Borealis

New satellite findings contradict the long-held idea that the aurora borealis (northern lights) is caused by sunspots. That belief originated because the so-called great auroras, which are visible in the mid-latitudes, usually occur after a period of high sunspot activity.

The approaching winter and longer nights make this an ideal time to head north to visit one of nature's most amazing phenomena: the northern lights. And one of Canada 's national parks provides several ideal viewing locations within striking distance of creature comforts. Jasper National Park , (780) 852-6176, in west-central Alberta, is officially the largest “dark sky preserve” in the world. Such places - well away from urban lights - provide superb opportunities for stargazing and viewing the aurora borealis.

In a smoky, noisy roadhouse 3,500 miles from home, Noriko Morioka watches the snow falling outside and sighs. Nothing much to do but sit back down with her two friends and order another beer. Back home in Tokyo, all three are dental assistants. This week they are tourists.

Times reader "jkunimoto" shot this photo of the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, during a trip to Fairbanks, Alaska. "I was not able to see the aurora at its fullest, but I was still happy to see something," she said. Aurora borealis occur when atomic particles in the Earth's upper atmosphere strike atoms. This interaction causes light of varying wavelengths to be released, producing bands of color in a zone around the North Pole. The effect may be magnified during solar activity, such as during the solar flare in February . View past photos we've featured . To upload your own, visit our reader travel photo gallery . When you upload your photo, tell us where it was taken and when.

The generational glue that binds families and the choices one makes as an adult are at issue in "Aurora Borealis," a bittersweet drama starring Joshua Jackson and Donald Sutherland. Most successful in capturing the emotional elements of its story, the film relies on its excellent cast to balance out sketchily drawn characters and the unfortunate obviousness of its plot.

Just south of the Arctic Circle, as spring arrives, the forecast on the front page of the newspaper is cheery: "Another sunny, chilly day." That means we're looking for a high of 12 and a low of -20. The low end of that forecast means something to me and my fellow travelers: We will spend the midnight hours and beyond outside, in the wind, on a mountaintop 20 miles north of town. It also matters that the skies will be clear.

Iceland is famous for two kinds of night life. One is the manic weekend reveling in the capital, Reykjavik, where young folk stream from bar to bar in the narrow cobblestone streets, drinking, dancing and striking occasional sparks until daybreak.

"Anyone who would rhyme aurora borealis with red and ruby chalice is not bad. Not bad at all." --Singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, on lyricist Johnny Mercer in SongTalk.

The approaching winter and longer nights make this an ideal time to head north to visit one of nature's most amazing phenomena: the northern lights. And one of Canada 's national parks provides several ideal viewing locations within striking distance of creature comforts. Jasper National Park , (780) 852-6176, in west-central Alberta, is officially the largest “dark sky preserve” in the world. Such places - well away from urban lights - provide superb opportunities for stargazing and viewing the aurora borealis.

The night skies over southwestern Montana danced with bright red and green shades of the northern lights, or aurora borealis, as seen May 15, from past midnight to just before dawn. The light phenomenon was visible down to California and Arizona.

Thanks to a powerful solar flare , the northern lights are on tour -- sort of. Locals and lucky travelers in Northern Ireland this week have seen the dazzling ribbons of color usually reserved for higher latitudes. The reason? Particles from the solar flare that have started to rain down on Earth also have made the lights, a.k.a. the aurora borealis, visible to more people. (The magnetic showers expected to last to midday Friday also have the potential to down power grids and interrupt communications, according to this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration update .)

Iceland is famous for two kinds of night life. One is the manic weekend reveling in the capital, Reykjavik, where young folk stream from bar to bar in the narrow cobblestone streets, drinking, dancing and striking occasional sparks until daybreak.

Bravo! I absolutely enjoyed Chris Erskine's article on taking the train through Alaska ["Polar Express," July 20]. I was considering going there this summer with my 12-year-old son, but our plans have changed. We'll go there next summer for sure. I'm going to save the article with tons of useful info and excellent photos. I'm thinking to do exactly what he recommends. Alex Viduetsky Valley Village -- Saying that there's little to do in Fairbanks is pathetic. We spent several fascinating days in that city, enjoying wonderful museums about the diverse people and animals; learning about the difficulty of life at 50 degrees below; visiting the Alaska pipeline and getting in-depth information about the technology and controversy; learning about musk oxen, caribou and reindeer at the Large Animal Research Center; and taking a trip on a riverboat.

NASA released findings Thursday that indicate magnetic explosions about one-third of the way to the moon cause the northern lights, or aurora borealis, to dance across the sky in spectacular shapes and colors. A fleet of five small satellites, called Themis, observed the beginning of a geomagnetic storm in February, while ground observatories recorded the brightening of the northern lights. A team led by UCLA scientist Vassilis Angelopoulos confirmed that the observed storm about 80,000 miles from Earth was triggered by a phenomenon known as magnetic reconnection.

The generational glue that binds families and the choices one makes as an adult are at issue in "Aurora Borealis," a bittersweet drama starring Joshua Jackson and Donald Sutherland. Most successful in capturing the emotional elements of its story, the film relies on its excellent cast to balance out sketchily drawn characters and the unfortunate obviousness of its plot.

Auroras similar to the ones that cast great curtains of spectral light over Earth's polar regions have been found on Mars, physicists at UC Berkeley said. Researchers analyzing six years of data from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft say they have found evidence of hundreds of auroras flashing across the barren landscape. The discovery is a surprise because Mars does not have a planet-wide magnetic field like the one that blankets Earth.

Thanks to a powerful solar flare , the northern lights are on tour -- sort of. Locals and lucky travelers in Northern Ireland this week have seen the dazzling ribbons of color usually reserved for higher latitudes. The reason? Particles from the solar flare that have started to rain down on Earth also have made the lights, a.k.a. the aurora borealis, visible to more people. (The magnetic showers expected to last to midday Friday also have the potential to down power grids and interrupt communications, according to this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration update .)

Outtakes reported April 28 that "Chain Reaction," a new film about atmospheric bomb testing, is being primarily financed by the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima, a Catholic organization interested in religious miracles. Reporter Joan Borsten wrote that "part of the movie will be filmed in the small village of Fatima, where, in 1917 and 1938, villagers witnessed an unusual aurora borealis . . . heralding the coming of each world war." 1917 was a little late for World War I to be heralded.

Earth's north magnetic pole is drifting away from North America and toward Siberia at such a clip that Alaska might lose its spectacular Northern Lights in the next 50 years, scientists said Thursday. Despite accelerated movement over the last century, the possibility that Earth's modestly fading magnetic field will collapse is remote.

For more than a century, the ballet "The Sleeping Beauty" has been a celebration of youth and possibility, not only in storybook terms but for the dancers who have brought it to life. The spellbound Princess Aurora, who pricks her finger and falls asleep for 100 years, made the career of the great English ballerina Margot Fonteyn. It has also been danced memorably by the Russians Irina Kolpakova and Altynai Asylmuratova and the British Darcey Bussell.