What causes the Northern Lights?

You probably know that fireflies (lightning bugs) flash light! Why though? Do you think their light helps them somehow?

They light up so they can find each other from far away. Imagine being a tiny bug and trying to find another bug!

Some fireflies flash all at the same time. Scientists used flashlights to flash patterns—and the fireflies copied the flashes!

Creatures that light up are rare, EXCEPT in one of these habitats. Which habitat do you think has a lot of this type of creature? Why?

Hint: Think of fireflies. They only come out at night in the DARK, using light to find each other. Does this give you any ideas?

The DEEPEST parts of the ocean are so dark and almost no light reaches there. The only way to see creatures is if they light up!

Is this little fish breathing fire? Is it spitting out light? What do you think is going on here?

It’s spitting out the meal it just ate! The fish isn’t glowing—its food is glowing! Why would it want to get rid of a glowing meal?

The dark ocean is filled with predators—fish that will eat smaller fish. If a small fish is glowing, it’s easier for predators to find it.

This thing is crawling around in the jungle. What do you think it is?

If you said worm, you were close—but it’s actually a beetle! Why do you think it lights up? (It’s not to find others in the dark.)

The lights are a warning! When predators eat these beetles, they get sick! So they learn to stay away, and the beetles stay safe!

Here’s another dark place! It’s a cave! What do you think it is that's glowing?

They’re called glowworms! Each glowworm can make sticky “string,” kind of like a spider’s web. Why do you think they glow?

Small bugs fly to the lights and get caught in the sticky string. Then the glowworms eat them!

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