Colors in the Atmosphere A bright display of aurora borealis is photographed over Yellowknife, northern Canada. This curtain of color extends vertically through the atmosphere; its nearly vertical rays trace out the Earth’s magnetic field lines and point toward the magnetic zenith.

Colors in the Atmosphere

A bright display of aurora borealis is photographed over Yellowknife, northern Canada. This curtain of color extends vertically through the atmosphere; its nearly vertical rays trace out the Earth’s magnetic field lines and point toward the magnetic zenith.