Who Knew the Northern Lights Had a Season? We're In It Right Now

Aurora borealis is one of the coolest astronomical events that we can see with the naked eye. It makes the sky glow beautiful colors, and auroras are just random enough to be exciting occurrences. But they may not be as random as we all think: Historical data suggests that aurora borealis has seasons where they are more likely to occur than other times of the year. The spring equinox is one of those times, and we're just entered into it. Read more: Spring Equinox Is Almost Here The idea that aurora borealis has "seasons" comes from data compiled by NASA astrophysicist, Dr. David Hathaway. According to the data, the northern lights are more likely to show up in March, April, September, and October. Those are the months closest to the spring and autumn equinoxes -- the time of year when the sun crosses the equator and delivers almost equal amounts of daylight to the entire planet. Hathaway's data is the latest, but it's not the first. Per Earth Sky, Aloysius Cortie, an English Jesuit ... Read full article.