Space might seem like an empty place, but the area surrounding Earth is constantly being bombarded by waves of charged particles released by the Sun: The solar wind. Luckily, thanks to Earth's swirling, molten core (and the magnetic field it provides), we are protected from this planet-sterilizing onslaught like an invisible force field. The visual result? The Auroras.

Originally released by Knowledgemotion, 2013. Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on February 21, 2020.