Many New Yorkers viewed a rare occurrence in mid-October as the northern lights lit up the night sky in green, blue and purple hues throughout the tri-state area. The students in Teressa Brown’s first grade class at Susan E. Wiley Elementary School were excited to learn more about the aurora borealis. 

For those who did not witness the event, the class observed photos of the lights’ different views throughout the area. They learned how the aurora borealis happens: charred particles of the sun interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, causing a beautiful display of color. 

As part of a hands-on experiment, the students used milk, Q-tips, food coloring and dish soap in a pan to create their own version of the northern lights. The milk created the perfect palette to see the colors swirl in the pan. After the activity, students used watercolor paints to design their own northern lights artwork.