Are polar auroras stronger at the North Pole?

They’re not actually stronger at the North Pole, but they are seen more frequently because the aurora borealis, or northern lights, tend to happen over more populated areas than their southern equivalent, the aurora australis. The poles aren’t the best place to see auroras anyway – they tend to form in broad ‘auroral ovals’, around 10-20 degrees from the pole, relating to the region where magnetic field lines leading to or from the pole pass through the upper atmosphere – the auroras themselves appear as energy-rich particles from space are drawn down along these field lines and collide with particles high in the air to emit beautiful glows.

Answered by Giles Sparrow