// Northern Lights

Drawing the Northern Lights

(This part makes an excellent interdisciplinary project with school art programs.)

As a memento of your visit to northern lights we have all the tools you need to make a chalk sketch of your impression of the aurora borealis. I’ll give you black paper for the night sky. 

What chalk colors should we use? 

VISUAL 3 (movie): Aurora Drawing Inspiration
[Play the video for the aurora drawing activity. May be used here for summarizing the program.] 
Show Visual 30 and point out the various colors: green, red, blue. Hand out black paper and clipboards. Distribute fluorescent oil pastels. Show Visuals 31–43 and/or play the movie of aurora: “Inspiration for Aurora Drawings.”

Encourage the “artists” saying how nice their drawings are and that the real northern lights can look that way, which is probably true! It should be dark to see the northern lights at their best. Turn down all bright lights and turn up the ultraviolet light. Let them admire their work and explain fluorescence if you wish.
Image 31 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway by Franck Pettersen
Image 31 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway
(by Franck Pettersen)
Image 32 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway by Franck Pettersen
Image 32 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway
(by Franck Pettersen)
Image 33 Aurora in Alaska by Jan Curtis
Image 33 Aurora in Alaska
(by Jan Curtis)
Image 34 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway by Franck Pettersen
Image 34 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway
(by Franck Pettersen)
Image 35 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway by Franck Pettersen
Image 35 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway
(by Franck Pettersen)
Image 36 Aurora in Alaska by Jan Curtis
Image 36 Aurora in Alaska
(by Jan Curtis)
Image 37 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway by Franck Pettersen
Image 37 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway
(by Franck Pettersen)
Image 38 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway by Franck Pettersen
Image 38 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway
(by Franck Pettersen)
Image 39 Aurora, Norway 360 image by Martin Kulhavy
Image 39 Aurora, Norway
(360 image by Martin Kulhavy)
Image 40 Aurora in Alaska by Jan Curtis
Image 40 Aurora in Alaska
(by Jan Curtis)
Image 41 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway by Franck Pettersen
Image 41 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway
(by Franck Pettersen)
Image 42 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway by Franck Pettersen
Image 42 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway
(by Franck Pettersen)
Image 43 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway by Franck Pettersen
Image 43 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway
(by Franck Pettersen)
Image 44 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway by Franck Pettersen
Image 44 Aurora near Tromsø, Norway
(by Franck Pettersen)
Image 45 (again) Aurora in Norway 360 image by Martin Kulhavy
Image 45 (again) Aurora in Norway
(360 image by Martin Kulhavy)