The troposphere
Auroras form in the thermosphere layer of Earth's atmosphere. This is the layer where the gases are ionized by interactions with solar radiation, allowing for the beautiful light displays of auroras to occur.
The thermosphere is the layer of the atmosphere that lies between the mesosphere and the exosphere. It is characterized by increasing temperatures with altitude and is where the auroras occur.
Auroras occur in the thermosphere, which is the second-highest layer of Earth's atmosphere. The thermosphere is located between the mesosphere and the exosphere, at an altitude ranging from about 80 km to 600 km above the Earth's surface.
Auroras occur primarily in the thermosphere, which is the layer of the Earth's atmosphere located between about 85 kilometers (53 miles) and 600 kilometers (373 miles) above the surface. In this layer, charged particles from the solar wind interact with the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere, creating the stunning light displays known as auroras, or the Northern and Southern Lights.
The ionosphere is the layer of the atmosphere that is made of charged atoms. This layer is found between the mesosphere and the exosphere and is responsible for phenomena such as the auroras and radio wave propagation.
No, it has no atmosphere.
Electrified atoms, or ions, are plentiful in the ionosphere layer of the Earth's atmosphere. This layer is located between about 48 kilometers (30 miles) and 965 kilometers (600 miles) above the Earth's surface and is important for radio communication and the auroras.
In the upper mesosphere and the lower thermosphere, gas particles become electrically charged. Because these charged particles are called ions, this part of the thermosphere is called the ionosphere. In polar regions these ions radiate energy as shimmering lights called auroras, usually in latitudes above 50 degrees. The Aurora Borealis and its southern counterpart the Aurora Australis are formed high in the atmosphere in the ionosphere, which is sometimes considered as part of the thermosphere, the outermost actual atmosphere. Above this layer, the exosphere has so few molecules that they can escape into space. For more information visit the question "What causes the Aurora Borealis?"
The northern lights occur in the thermosphere, which is the layer of the atmosphere located between the mesosphere and exosphere. This region is where solar energy interacts with gases like oxygen and nitrogen to create the stunning light displays known as auroras.
The ionosphere, which is part of the thermosphere layer of the atmosphere, acts like a giant magnet due to its high concentration of charged particles. These charged particles interact with Earth's magnetic field, creating the auroras and affecting radio communication.
A planet needs a strong magnetic field and an atmosphere to have auroras. The magnetic field helps to trap charged particles from the solar wind, which interact with molecules in the atmosphere to produce the colorful lights of auroras.
The troposphere is where weather occurs and contains most of Earth's atmosphere. The stratosphere contains the ozone layer, which protects us from harmful UV rays. The mesosphere helps burn up meteors before they reach Earth's surface. The thermosphere is where auroras and satellites are found.