Aurora Borealis: What are they and how did they make their way to South Central Texas?

The Aurora Borealis, which are commonly known as the Northern Lights, are a captivating phenomena.

The shimmering colors of green, red and violet light occur due to the relationship between the Earth and the Sun. While they typically occur in higher latitudes, recent events prove that it can happen across the country, including portions of South Central Texas.

But what exactly are the Northern Lights, and what has to happen for San Antonians to catch a glimpse?

The science behind the lights

The lights start 93 million miles away. The auroras occur when charged particles from the sun are carried by solar wind to Earth where it interacts with the magnetic field.

When the sun erupts with more intense bursts of energy - such as from solar flares or coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that wind