Why Different Colours?

The colour depends on which gas is hit and how high up the collision happens.

400km

150km

100km

80km

Red

Oxygen · above 200 km · Rare and faint — only during big storms

Green

Oxygen · 100–150 km · The most common colour you'll see

Pink / Magenta

Nitrogen · ~100 km · Appears at the bottom edge of green auroras

Blue / Purple

Nitrogen · below 100 km · Very rare, the lowest edge of the aurora

Check tonight's aurora forecast