Dhaka, Oct. 9 -- The aurora -- known as the northern lights in the northern hemisphere and the southern lights below the equator -- ranks among the most breathtaking sights in nature.

But the explanation most people have heard, that it is caused by particles from the Sun hitting our atmosphere, is only loosely accurate, according to The Independent.

The real story is considerably more dramatic.

The process begins with the Sun. Its outer layers are in a state of plasma -- a superheated gas in which atoms have been stripped into electrons and ions.

This plasma flows outward from the Sun in a continuous stream known as the solar wind, travelling through space until it reaches Earth.

Earth's magnetic field, the same force that guides a c...