The Northern Lights are also known as the Aurora Borealis, a natural light display in the Earth’s sky predominantly seen in high-latitude regions around the Arctic and Antarctic.
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MCQs
1. In which regions are the Northern Lights primarily observed?
A) Equatorial regions
B) High-latitude regions
C) Tropical regions
D) Temperate regions
Answer: B) High-latitude regions
Explanation: The Northern Lights are predominantly seen in high-latitude regions around the Arctic and Antarctic, where the geomagnetic activity is strongest.
2. What is the main cause of the Northern Lights?
A) The reflection of sunlight off the moon
B) The Earth’s magnetic field interacting with solar wind
C) Lightning storms in the upper atmosphere
D) Air pollution in the upper atmosphere
Answer: B) The Earth’s magnetic field interacting with solar wind
Explanation: The Northern Lights are caused by the interaction of the Earth’s magnetic field with charged particles from the sun, known as solar wind.
3. Which of the following is not a characteristic color of the Northern Lights?
A) Green
B) Blue
C) Pink
D) Brown
Answer: D) Brown
Explanation: The Northern Lights typically display colors like green, blue, and pink due to the interaction of charged particles with different gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. Brown is not a characteristic color of the auroras.
4. What role does the Earth’s atmosphere play in the color of the Northern Lights?
A) It reflects the colors of the ocean
B) It absorbs all colors except green
C) It determines the colors based on altitude and gas composition
D) It does not affect the colors
Answer: C) It determines the colors based on altitude and gas composition
Explanation: The color of the Northern Lights is determined by the type of gas molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere and the altitude at which the interaction with charged particles occurs.
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