Aurora Borealis
The Aurora Borealis has always fascinated people. The Aurora Borealis is found in the northern parts of the world including Yukon, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and the northern parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba including Churchill. The Aurora Borealis is called the northern lights or the auroras. The northern lights are a colourful, undulating glow that can be seen in the night sky usually in the north Polar Regions. These lights are also called the Aurora Borealis which is Latin for “northern dawn.” The phenomenon also occurs in the southern hemisphere, and is called the “Aurora Australis”.
Aurora Borealis is made up of green or yellow colours from oxygen atoms, and blue or purple colours from nitrogen atoms. These colours are found at different altitudes. Green and yellow are both found at 60 miles in altitude. Rare, all-red auroras are produced by high-altitude oxygen, at heights of up to 200 miles. As the electrons enter the earth’s upper atmosphere, they will encounter atom’s oxygen and nitrogen at altitudes from 60 to 200 miles above the earth’s surface. When electrically charged particles from the sun collide with the earth’s upper atmosphere, they cause the atmospheric atoms and ions to radiate different colours and bands of light. And THAT makes us sound really smart!
Aurora, The Polar Bear... Aurora is currently one of four polar bears at Assiniboine Park Zoo.
- When polar bears are born they usually weigh less than a kilogram.
- Baby polar bears are born with their eyes shut and hardly any hair.
- Baby polar bears feed on their mom’s milk, which has lots of fat and protein.
- Polar bear cubs are usually born by early January.
- Polar bear cubs stay in their den until their mother breaks through the snow that is covering the den door.
- When a family goes out of their den, they stay close together.
- Mother polar bears protect their young for two to three years.
- Female polar bears may become pregnant in April or May.
- If she becomes pregnant, she needs to eat a lot to build up her fat deposits.
- Aurora was estimated to be 11 months when she came to Assiniboine park zoo on October 29 2013.
- Aurora was found in Churchill and had little chance of survival in the wild.
- Aurora was found wandering around Churchill’s airport.
- Aurora had broken her teeth before her arrival to the Zoo and veterinarians had to fix her teeth.
- The name was chosen by students at the Duke of Marlborough School in Churchill.
- Aurora has already undergone dental surgery at the zoo.
Sources:
http://news.ca.msn.com/local/manitoba/winnipeg
http://www.lyngenlodge.com/the-northern-lights/aurora-facts
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba
http://www.chrisd.ca
By: Andrew, Kelsey & Riley of Beaverlodge School