hemiborealis

Hemiborealis is a term sometimes used in astronomy, particularly in discussions related to the aurora. It refers to the aurora borealis phenomenon that occurs in the northern hemisphere. The aurora borealis itself is a natural light display in the sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions around the Arctic. It is caused by disturbances in the magnetosphere caused by the solar wind, which then interacts with the upper atmosphere and excites the atoms, causing them to emit light. While "hemiborealis" specifically denotes the northern occurrence, the term "aurora" is a more general scientific classification for these light shows. Similar phenomena occur in the southern hemisphere, known as the aurora australis. The visual characteristics of the aurora, including its colors and patterns, depend on the type of gas particles that are colliding and the altitude at which the collision occurs.