What causes the Northern Lights? Most websites repeat the same scientific explanation — but here you will find something new. We not only describe the physics behind auroras; we also show the first real-time Cause → Effect model that visually proves how a solar eruption turns into Northern Lights above Iceland.

Using two live data sources — solar wind measurements and Earth’s geomagnetic response — our system draws a unique Cause & Effect Line that updates every few minutes. It allows you to see the chain reaction from the Sun to the sky, in a way no other forecast website currently offers.

This is new knowledge, built from our own API connections, and part of Airmango’s Aurora AI research project.

New Knowledge: Visual Proof of Solar Cause → Aurora Effect

For the first time, we show a live, scientific “cause-and-effect” timeline that connects:

• Solar Eruption (CME or Solar Wind Spike) →
• Travel Time Across 150 Million km →
• Arrival at Earth’s Magnetosphere →
• Geomagnetic Disturbance (Kp / Bt / Bz response) →
• Aurora Visibility in Iceland

This timeline is generated using our own data pipeline:
1. API 1: Real-time solar wind & CME data (NASA/NOAA DSCOVR & ACE satellites)
2. API 2: Geomagnetic response data (magnetometer readings + K-index updates)

These two APIs combined create new knowledge: A direct, real-time visual demonstration of cause → effect that is not available on any other Northern Lights website.

How Our Model Works (Simple Explanation)

We convert raw data into a human-friendly timeline:

• When a CME leaves the Sun, our system calculates its estimated speed.
• As it travels toward Earth, the time-to-arrival is updated.
• When it hits the magnetosphere, we detect the jump in Bt/Bz.
• The system then shows how this results in aurora probability in Iceland.

Scroll down to see our real-time Cause → Effect Line and understand — visually — how the Northern Lights are created.

The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are one of the most stunning natural phenomena on Earth. But they aren’t a weather event—they are a space weather event.

Step 1: The Sun Releases Charged Particles

It all starts with the Sun. The Sun is constantly releasing a stream of tiny, electrically charged particles from its surface. This stream is called the solar wind. Sometimes, the Sun has larger “explosions,” like solar flares or Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs).

Step 2: The Solar Wind Travels Toward Earth

These solar wind particles travel through space at incredible speeds, often over a million miles per hour (1.6 million km/h). It typically takes this “wind” about 1 to 3 days to cross the 93 million miles (150 million km) to reach Earth.

Step 3: Earth’s Magnetic Shield Is Hit

If this solar wind hit Earth directly, it would be harmful. Luckily, our planet has a protective, invisible “force field” called the magnetosphere. This field deflects most of the solar wind safely around us, but acts like a funnel at the North and South Poles.

Step 4: The Atmosphere Lights Up

As the high-energy solar particles are funneled down, they slam into Earth’s upper atmosphere. When they collide with gas atoms (mostly oxygen and nitrogen), they transfer energy, causing the atoms to release light.

Oxygen (Green & Red Aurora) Explained

Green is the most common color, caused by particles hitting oxygen atoms at lower altitudes (60-150 miles). Red is rarer and happens when oxygen is hit at very high altitudes (above 150 miles).

Nitrogen (Pink & Purple Aurora) Explained

Blue, pink, or purple colors are usually caused by particles hitting nitrogen atoms.

Q: What makes your aurora explanation different from other websites?
Because we use a real-time Cause → Effect Line that links solar eruptions to visible auroras. This data is produced through our own API pipeline and does not exist anywhere else online.

Q: How does your system prove the link between the Sun and auroras?
We combine raw solar wind measurements with Earth’s geomagnetic response. When a CME hits Earth, our visual line shows the immediate reaction in the atmosphere.

Q: Is this information available on standard aurora forecast websites?
No. Traditional sites show forecasts or indexes, but none provide a continuous real-time chain from solar eruption → magnetosphere disturbance → aurora visibility in Iceland.

Q: Are you creating new scientific data?
No — we are creating new knowledge, not new raw data. Our system transforms existing API data into a unique visual model and simplified explanation.

Our Cause → Effect Aurora Model is built from two live scientific data streams:

• Solar Wind & CME Data: From NOAA/NASA DSCOVR & ACE satellites.
• Geomagnetic Response Data: Real-time magnetometer readings and K-index disturbances.

By combining these, we create a visual timeline that shows the step-by-step reaction from Sun → Earth → Auroras in Iceland. This is original interpretation representing new knowledge created by Airmango’s Aurora AI project.