Aurora over Decorah

The vivid northern lights reflect off the Upper Iowa River in the photo at left, taken looking north toward the campground around 11:30 p.m. Oct. 7. (Photo by Samantha Ludeking)

Once again the aurora borealis lite up the skies over northeast Iowa this week.

The phenomena occurs when electrons from outer space move down the Earth’s magnetic field and collide with atoms in the planet’s upper atmosphere, according to information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

“The collisions produce light much like how electrons flowing through gas in a neon light collide with neon and other gases to produce different colored light bulbs,” NOAA said on its website.

The northern lights are centered on the planet’s magnetic pole, according to NOAA, but the effect can be seen farther south if the disturbance of the Earth’s magnetic field is significantly strong.

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