General Chemistry – The Essential Concepts (2008) Raymond Chang

Description

Molecules in the upper atmosphere are constantly being bombarded by high-energy particles from the sun. As a result, these molecules either break up into atoms and/or become ionized. Eventually, the electronically excited species return to the ground state with the emission of light, giving rise to the phenomenon called aurora borealis (in the Northern Hemisphere) or aurora australis (in the Southern Hemisphere).