081 Aurora Borealis, Fairbanks, AK 64° 50 16 N, 147° 42 59 W The Northern Lights The Aurora Borealis (also called the Northern Lights, and shown in Figure 81-1) appears in the ionosphere in northern latitudes and is visible on dark nights. The light displays are caused by the interaction between the solar wind and the Earth's magnetosphere (see sidebar). To see the northern aurora, it is neces- sary to travel far to the north--the aurora is roughly centered on the Magnetic North Pole (see Chapter 128). In the U.S., a good place to see the aurora is Fairbanks, Alaska; the nights are