Why is the aurora visible only at high latitudes?
An Aurora Australis or an Aurora Borealis occurs when streams of particles from the sun’s solar winds hit the earth’s atmosphere at an angle (as can only happen at the poles). These particles interact with the edges of the earth’s magnetic field and when they collide with the gases in the ionosphere, the particles glow creating curtains of blue, green and magenta. An aurora is sometimes accompanied by a crackling sound.