OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Last night, the Midwest saw one of the strongest displays of the aurora borealis (northern lights) in recent history displaying the lights over multiple states. The lights were even seen as far as Florida! How does the aurora borealis form and what do the different colors mean? The First Alert 6 Weather Team breaks down the science!

The sun constantly emits charged protons and electrons from it’s outer atmosphere and travels throughout space. The stream of these protons and electrons is called the solar wind. These charged particles are dangerous to life on Earth. Thanks to the magnetic field, the Earth is protected from these particles.

When the solar wind hits the Earth’s magnetic field, it follows the magnetic field causing the charged particles to move around the

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