© Getty Images

Phenomenon - The aurora borealis is a visual phenomenon that happens above the magnetic poles of the northern hemisphere. The same experience happens on other planets including Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, and Mars.

© Shutterstock

Naked eye - The human eye can see the northern lights during the evening or at night.

© Shutterstock

Lights - The phenomenon consists of colorful bright lights, usually green or reddish.

© Shutterstock

How it happens - The aurora borealis happens when particles brought by the solar winds enter Earth’s atmosphere and collide violently with the planet's magnetic field.

© Shutterstock

Shapes - The hypnotizing light display tends to move irregularly in the sky.

© Shutterstock

Rays and lights - They are formed in the magnetic zenith and tend to display a semi-circular shape.

© Shutterstock

Irregular - The luminous intensity of the aurora borealis is very irregular and pulsating.

© Shutterstock

Tones - The color is a shade of green because this is the range produced when particles collide with oxygen.

© Shutterstock

Where - The lights of the aurora borealis usually extend roughly 60 to 75 miles above the Earth's surface.

© Shutterstock

Best time of the year - The lights are usually more intense from September or October until March or April.

© Shutterstock

Artificial northern lights - The phenomenon can be artificially reproduced, inside a lab or through a nuclear explosion.

© Shutterstock

Origin - Scientist Galileu Galilei named the natural event Aurora Borealis in 1619.

© Shutterstock

Aurora borealis -

The name was given as a reference to Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn.

© Getty Images

Name - Boreas was a Greek god who controlled the north winds.

© Shutterstock

Destinations - These are the best places to spot the northern lights:

© Shutterstock

Fairbanks, USA - The city of Fairbanks, Alaska sits at a latitude of 65 degrees, which is below the Aurora Oval (the huge ring above the Earth's geomagnetic north pole where the northern lights manifest). This is where you can watch the northern lights at their highest intensity.

© Shutterstock

Tromsø, Norway - The aurora borealis has been celebrated for over 25 years at the Northern Lights Festival in the Norwegian city of Tromsø.

© Shutterstock

Isle of Skye, Scotland - This is the ideal place to watch what the Scottish call the "mirrie dancers."

© Shutterstock

Nellim, Finland - Nellim is in Lapland, around 5 miles from the Russian border. This is one of the best spots to watch the northern lights in Finland.

© Shutterstock

Idaho Panhandle National Forests, USA - At the northern tip of the Idaho Panhandle, this national park is the perfect place to take a walk and spot the aurora borealis.

© Shutterstock

Akureyri, Iceland - In Iceland, people believe that the northern lights are actually angels dancing in the sky.

© Shutterstock

Yellowknife, Canada - In this wild region, there's a 90% chance you'll see the northern lights.

© Shutterstock

Abisko, Sweden - This village in Sweden has a micro-climate that is mainly cloudless. This improves the chances of seeing the northern lights.

© Shutterstock

Murmansk, Russia - Every winter in Russia, the northern lights are visible roughly 15 to 20 times.

© Shutterstock

Inishowen, Ireland - The low luminous pollution levels make this Irish peninsula a great spot to watch the lights.

© Shutterstock

Longyearbyen, Norway - This city is located around 560 miles north of continental Norway, which means it is a perfect place to catch the natural phenomenon.

© Shutterstock

Kangerlussuaq, Greenland -

This place has 300 days a year of clear skies and it is perfectly located in the middle of the northern lights belt.

See also: A stroll through the world's most beautiful gardens

© Shutterstock