One of my favorite natural phenomena — the Aurora borealis — is now easily available on the Internet. I first saw the northern lights during a visit to South Dakota in the fall a number of years ago. They were absolutely stunning!
The first Old Norse account of norðrljós is found in the Norwegian chronicle Konungs Skuggsjá from AD 1230. The chronicler has heard about this phenomenon from compatriots returning from Greenland, and he gives three possible explanations: that the ocean was surrounded by vast fires, that the sun flares could reach around the world to its night side, or that glaciers could store energy so that they eventually became fluorescent.
Read the story of Norwegian scientistKristian Birkeland and his work with the northern lights.
You can create your own "Northern Lights" at the VisitNorway.com site. Try it out!
By the way, some people seem to be taking my name in vain. Seriously.
