http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/07/24/aurora-borealis.html
"NASA released findings that indicate magnetic explosions about one-third of the way to the moon cause the northern lights, or Aurora Borealis, to burst in spectacular shapes and colors, and dance across the sky."
"Every so often, the Earth's magnetic field lines are stretched like rubber bands by solar energy, snap, are thrown back to Earth and reconnect, in effect creating a short circuit."
ZAP!
facinating