History of Astronomy – The Northern Lights: A historical perspective, by Tom Kerss

Every (pandemic-free) year, hundreds of thousands of people travel to arctic climes with the goal of witnessing the Northern Lights. It is a verified ‘must see’ natural wonder, which has cemented itself on every major bucket list. Many mysteries remain about the behaviour of auroras, but the major facts about their formation have been established. Yet, none of their magic has been eroded. A playful display of the Northern Lights remains an overwhelmingly wonderful sight, even for seasoned aurora-chasers. It is no surprise that, throughout history, they inspired so many creative legends and stories, not just limited to people native to high latitudes.

In the ancient Greek age of natural philosophy, scrutiny into the origin of the Northern Lights was surprisingly prevalent, but constrained by a limited picture of the Earth. Much later, with the scientific revolution in 17th Century Europe, they were discussed extensively, and as knowledge about our planet grew,…