Ontario Grade 9 Science Class Practice Exam

The natural electrical phenomenon seen in the sky near the poles is called the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. A meteor shower is a different phenomenon caused by debris entering the Earth's atmosphere. A rainbow is a colorful arc formed by sunlight and raindrops, and has nothing to do with electrical activity. Lightning is an electrical discharge that occurs within clouds, between clouds, or between the ground and clouds, but is not specifically associated with the poles. Therefore, the only correct term for this natural electrical phenomenon is the Aurora Borealis.