Aurora borealis at a 100-year low

Where have the Northern Lights gone? Since 2005, the aurora borealis has become a rare sight here on planet Earth. According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, we haven't seen Aurora's this sparce since the late 1800's.

The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, usually follow an 11-year pattern known as a "solar cycle.” At the peak of the solar cycle, the occurrence of auroras also peak. the frequency of auroras taper off as the solar cycle reaches its minimum. The whole pattern then repeats itself for another 11 years.

“The solar minimum was officially in 2008, but this minimum has been going on and on and on,” Finnish researcher Noora Partamies says.
“Only in the past half a year have we seen more activity, but we don’t really know whether we’re coming out of this minimum,” she added.

According to Physorg.com, The Northern Lights are a blaze of colored patterns in the northern skies. They are triggered by solar winds crashing into the earth and being drawn to the magnetic poles. Electrons in the atmosphere go crazy and begin emitting light in the parts of the atmosphere known as the ionosphere and magnetosphere.

So a dimming of the Northern Lights is a signal that activity on the sun which causes solar winds, such as solar flares and sun sports, is also quieting down. Physorg.com and Anthony Watts