Aurora
From Slackerpedia Galactica
The Aurora is an area high up in the atmosphere which glows when excited by particles streaming from the sun. These particles interact with molecules in the upper atmosphere, and this interaction causes the familiar glow we see. Depending on the type of atom/molecule being excited, we see different colors.
The aurora in the northern hemisphere is called the Aurora Borealis (northern lights).
The aurora in the southern hemisphere is called the Aurora Australis (southern lights).
The aurora is not caused by massive incandescent lightbulbs lying in the snows near the polar regions.
