field guides most of the particles toward the north and south magnetic poles. The magnetic poles are near the geographic north and south poles. There, the charged particles collide with gas molecules in Earth's upper atmosphere. The energy from the collision is released as light. The light from an aurora can be green, yellow, pink, or other colors and often takes the form of streamers, arcs, or rays. In the northern hemisphere, these lights are called the aurora borealis. In the southern hemisphere, they are called the aurora australis.
