Do the Northern Lights make music?
Reports of the aurora making a noise, however, are rare – and were historically dismissed by scientists. But a Finnish study in 2016 claimed to have finally confirmed that the northern lights really do produce sound audible to the human ear.
What do the Finnish call the Northern Lights?
The Finnish word for the Northern Lights translates to “fox fires”.
What does it mean to whistle at the Northern Lights?
Thought to be the souls of the dead, the Sámi believed you shouldn’t talk about the Northern Lights. It was also dangerous to tease them by waving, whistling or singing under them, as this would alert the lights to your presence. If you caught their attention, the lights could reach down and carry you up into the sky.
Do the Northern Lights make sounds that you can hear?
What is clear is that the aurora does, on rare occasions, make sounds audible to the human ear. The eerie reports of crackling, whizzing and buzzing noises accompanying the lights describe an objective audible experience – not something illusory or imagined.
What would happen if you touched the Northern Lights?
The aurora is emitted between 90 and 150 km in altitude (i.e. mostly above the ‘official’ boundary of space, 100 km), so ungloving your hand inside an aurora would likely be fatal (unless a fellow astronaut immediately reattaches your glove and repressurizes your suit).
Why should you not sing to the northern lights?
Thought to be the souls of the dead, the Sámi believed you shouldn’t talk about the Northern Lights, nor should you tease them—waving, whistling, or singing under them would alert the lights to your presence. If you caught their attention, the lights could reach down and carry you up into the sky.
What would happen if you touched the northern lights?
Do the northern lights make sounds that you can hear?