What Are the Northern Lights? | Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains...

What are the Northern Lights? On this explainer, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice discuss Earth’s magnetism and the aurora borealis. What makes the poles light up at night? Will Earth’s poles flip? We discuss Earth’s precession (wobble), bob, and flip. Learn about the magnetic poles. Does your compass actually point to the magnetic north pole? Are the north pole and the magnetic north pole the same thing? Why do we even have a magnetic field? Discover Earth’s molten core, creating a dynamo, and why dead planets like Mars don’t have one. How often do Earth’s magnetic poles flip? Find out what magnets and aurora borealis have to do with each other. Will something bad happen if the poles do flip? Get the NEW Cosmic Queries book (5/5 ⭐s on Amazon!): https://amzn.to/3dYIEQF Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk About StarTalk: Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up! #StarTalk #neildegrassetyson 0:00 - Introduction 0:24 - Earth’s Axis 1:49 - Magnetic Poles 5:21 - Earth’s Core 7:47 - Magnetic Field 9:40 - Aurora 12:08 - Closing Notes