The aurora and space weather

One of the most amazing and beautiful natural phenomena, the aurora borealis and the aurora australis light up the skies above earth whenever the electro-magnetic particles from the sun are channeled down into our atmosphere.  The strength of the aurora varies and the colours and shapes we see change dramatically.  There are many ancient legends associated with the aurora, and they have sometimes been linked to electro-magnetic calamities (such as the Carrington event).  This month we will talk about how the aurora occur, what effect the associated space weather can have on earth and also how aurora occur on other planets.