What Is a Magnetic Field?

By jamie

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6. Aurora Borealis

As mentioned, our planet has its own magnetic field, and you can even see this sometimes in one of the most magnificent sights of all: the aurora borealis. Every now and then, a solar flare will send electrons and protons hurtling toward Earth.

These are usually deflected by our planets magnetic field, but because the field is weaker at the poles, some of these electrons and protons will make it through to our atmosphere. When this happens, the collision of these particles with our atmosphere makes for the most stunning light display you are likely to see. These electrically charged solar winds would otherwise be enough to knock out our electrical grids, demonstrating how important Earths magnetic field is to us.

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