Just returned from the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco where they claim to have discovered the energy source behind auroras borealis, which most of us know as the “northern lights”. Using five - yes, FIVE - NASA satellites they propose that the energy comes from charged particles that come from the sun and travel through magnetic fields all across the planet only to explode in a shimmering display of light.
Great work guys. (And people call ME crazy!) 
I’m not serious of course, I’m sure this new research on the lights was conducted in a thorough fashion and the report is sound. What gets my goat is, NASA is using five multi-million dollar satellites to explain the northern lights because they are pretty, popular, and great for tourism. Something like Buttermilk, which is darker and scary and swallows vagrants - now that’s easier to dismiss as myth. Its all politics.
This site does a good job of showing how the Northern Lights is similar to Buttermilk because it started as magic and myth but gradually earned a scientific explanation - in this case, solar winds and magnetic fields.
An fyi: if anyone wants to attend a future meeting of the American Geophysical Union and share some of the views reflected on this blog, here is a schedule of their future meetings: http://www.agu.org/meetings/