What phenomenon occurs when solar winds collide with the Earth's atmosphere?

When solar winds collide with the Earth's atmosphere, the phenomenon known as the aurora borealis occurs. This spectacular natural display is caused by charged particles from the solar wind interacting with the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere, specifically at high latitudes near the poles. As these particles enter the atmosphere, they collide with gases such as oxygen and nitrogen, exciting the atoms and resulting in the emission of light in various colors, predominantly greens, reds, and purples. This interaction creates the shimmering lights known as the northern lights in the northern hemisphere and the southern lights in the southern hemisphere.

While solar flares, solar eclipses, and magnetosphere disruptions all relate to solar activity and the Earth's magnetic field, they do not describe the visual phenomenon observed in the night sky as the aurora borealis does. Solar flares are intense bursts of radiation from the sun's surface, solar eclipses occur when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking sunlight, and magnetosphere disruptions refer to disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field that can affect satellite operations and power grids, but none of these are the dazzling light displays created by the collision of solar winds with the Earth's atmosphere.