Lighting Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lighting - Term Paper Example What exactly is this phenomenon? What causes it to occur? Have scientists through the years found the answers to explain this amazing occurrence? If this was a myth, what sort of stories was told about it? These are just some of the questions that this paper aims to answer. Introduction â€Å"A French scientist named Pierre Gassendi was claimed to have named the northern lights after the Roman goddess of dawn, â€Å"Aurora† in 1621. The word â€Å"borealis† was added to represent the Greek god of the north wind, â€Å"Boreas† † (Effron L., 2011.). Others, however, claimed that it was the Italian scientist Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) who actually first gave the term ‘Aurora Borealis’, a Latin derived word† (â€Å"Facts and Info†, n.d.). Places where aurora borealis can be viewed have become tourist attractions in that part of the world_ the northern latitudes which particularly they call the polar zones. Some scientists call them a s â€Å"polar auroras† (or aurorae polaris)† (Polar zone, n.d.). All types of aficionados all over the world and from all walks of life come and gather to this part of the world to enjoy looking and appreciating a â€Å"no man-made† awesome sights in the sky. ... Here are some facts gathered about the officially known aurora borealis or northern lights in the earth’s northern hemisphere. Is Aurora Borealis, A Myth? When there were still no valid explanations for these amazing colorful sightings in the sky, people invented several stories translated into legends, folklores and myths. As myths, many have thought of these colorful lights in the sky as something alien in origin (â€Å"Alaska Public Land†, n.d.). It is important to note that â€Å"different cultures and communities had different stories to tell about the aurora borealis. For one, it was thought to be spirits of the dead dancing in heaven while others believed that those people who whistled at the lights were taken away by them. The lights were also thought to be trails of various gods and goddesses traveling in the sky. The dominance of red colors it radiated in the sky was also perceived to be signs of bloodshed, wars, and catastrophic events. Some have accepted th em as signs given by Immortal Gods and Goddesses in strange worlds trying to communicate with mortals† (â€Å"Facts and Info†, n.d.). But eventually through the years of man’s milestone achievements on scientific technology-advancement, persistent scientists were able to find scientific answers to what causes and makes up these northern lights. The Scientific Explanation The Corpuscular Theory of the Aurora Borealis by Goldstein in 1881 was one of the earliest theories attempting to explain the occurrence of the northern lights (Spencer, 1918). Further studies in support of the aurora borealis were initiated by, Paulsen, a Danish meteorologist (1891), Birkeland (1896), Dr.