dayside auroral oval

The dayside auroral oval is a region in Earth's upper atmosphere, primarily in high latitudes, where auroras occur. These luminous displays are caused by the interaction of energetic particles from the solar wind with atoms of the upper atmosphere. Specifically, electrons and protons are guided by Earth's magnetic field into the atmosphere, where they collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms, causing them to emit light.123

The oval-shaped zones are centered around the magnetic poles and maintain a fixed orientation relative to the Sun. During periods of high solar activity, these auroral zones can extend to lower latitudes. The colors of auroras, such as green, red, or blue, depend on the type of atom being excited and the altitude of the interaction.13