![]() As these oxygen atoms return to their ground state, they emit green photons ( f = 5.38 × 10 14 Hz) and red photons ( f = 4.76 × 10 14 Hz). These atoms account for the greenish and red glows of the auroras. For example, oxygen atoms remain in an excited state for up to 1.0 second. In the higher regions of Earth's atmosphere, where there are fewer interatom collisions, a few of the atoms remain in excited states for longer times. Most atoms return to their ground state within 10. The charged particles give energy to the atoms, exciting them from their lowest available energy level, the ground state, to higher energy levels, excited states.
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