Watson Lake Yukon, Northern Lights Centrenorthern Lights or aurora borealis are natural different colored light displays, which are usually observed in the night sky, particularly in the polar zone. Some scientists therefore call them ''polar auroras'' (or ''aurorae polaris''). In northern latitudes, it is known as the aurora borealis, named after the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for north wind, Boreas. It often appears as a greenish glow (or sometimes a faint red), as if the sun were rising from an unusual direction. more... See more text