Inhabitants of the Polar Regions share historically passed down explanations for auroras.
Inuit Myth
Now Streaming
Examine legends about the origins and meaning of the aurora.
In Earth's polar regions, the aurora - a ghostly flicker and colorful glow - mysteriously brightens the night sky. One of the most incredible natural phenomena in the world, the array of colors in the aurora is a source of endless theory and wonder. What creates such beauty and spectacle?
In Earth's polar regions, the aurora - a ghostly flicker and colorful glow - mysteriously brightens the night sky. One of the most incredible natural phenomena in the world, the array of colors in the aurora is a source of endless theory and wonder. What creates such beauty and spectacle?
Inhabitants of the Polar Regions share historically passed down explanations for auroras.
Inuit Myth
Providing Support for PBS.org
Photos from Aurora - Fire in the Sky
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Aurora australis
Terra Mater/Stephen Voss
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Aurora australis
Terra Mater/Stephen Voss
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Aurora australis
Terra Mater/Stephen Voss
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Aurora australis
Terra Mater/Stephen Voss
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Aurora borealis
Terra Mater/Bernd Pröschold
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Aurora over Tiniteqilaaq, East Greenland.
Terra Mater/Gert Ignatiussen
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Film crew on iceberg (Sermilik Fjord, East Greenland).
Terra Mater/Gert Ignatiussen
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EISCAT radar facility, Ramfjordmoen near Tromsoe.
Terra Mater/Andreas Hagemann
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Cameraman Udo Maurer in the Johann Petersen Fjord, East Greenland.
Terra Mater/Andreas Hagemann
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Aurora australis
Terra Mater/Stephen Voss
About the Show
In Earth’s polar regions, the aurora — a ghostly flicker and colorful glow — mysteriously brightens the night sky. One of the most incredible natural phenomena in the world, the array of colors of the aurora is a source of endless theory and wonder. What creates such beauty and spectacle?
"Aurora - Fire in the Sky" links popular myths to the aurora’s physical effects on the natural world. For some tribes, it is the spirit of ancestors playing ball in the sky; for others, it’s a harbinger of war, plague, and famine.
The film visits Finland’s Saami, Alaska’s Inuit, Canada’s Native Americans, and New Zealand’s Maori, each with legends of their own. The film travels the globe, incorporating scientific research and myth, sharing the awe-inspiring mystery of the aurora with viewers everywhere.
Producer
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