To fully understand how auroras are made you have to know how the planet in which the aurora is displayed works. On earth we have an atmosphere. In that atmosphere there are compounds of oxygen, nitrogen and some hydrogen and helium. Planet earth is surrounded by a magnetic field. The earth has a metallic core that is where the magnetic field comes from. There are poles in the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere called magnetic poles.  In order for an aurora to occur we need both an atmosphere and a magnetic field.   

There’s just one more important factor in creating these brilliant auroras. Charged particles! Charged particles are in the earth’s plasma. Moving in a circular motion, electrons and positive ions surround the magnetic field flowing like they are in wires. Electrons are more present then ions, therefore electrons combined with atoms cause light.The center of the sun generates solar winds. These solar winds are formed by charged particles and travel in the atmosphere at a high 800 km/s.