The Aurora dazzles North America. Here’s what I saw.
In my blog last week, I wrote about a new Amtrak rail line called the “Borealis,” and in that blog I mentioned the last and only time I had seen the Aurora Borealis was back in 2012. Little did I know that the same week I published that blog I would be seeing the lights again for the first time in 12 years.
With last week’s massive solar storm, most of North America was treated to sights of the Aurora, even as far south as Florida and Mexico. I saw the lights on the evening of Friday, May 10 right over my house. With all our light pollution in Chicago, the lights were dim, but they were there. The sky was a deep red with dim purple hues around 9 p.m. that night. I think some sunlight may have still been in the sky.
Like the rest of the country, I was able to capture some photographs. However, the iPhone camera picked up much more of the light and colors than my eyes. If I had known the lights would be visible not long after sunset, I would have gone to a darker spot, possibly by the lakefront.
It was still a nice experience to see the Aurora Borealis right over my house. It’s a reminder that I need to venture to a place like Alaska, Ontario or Finland where you can see the full brilliance of the Northern Lights in a subpolar landscape with minimal light pollution.
If you missed this opportunity to see the Aurora and you’re in the northern U.S., there will still be future opportunities in your hometown. Keep track of solar activity and Aurora forecasts — there are several social media accounts and apps providing these. Then go out a keep your eyes peeled on the skies to the north.
A few places to track Aurora:
If you happen to be out on a nighttime walk, and even if you didn’t look at the Aurora forecast, you may still get a glimpse of the lights. That’s how I spotted them for the first time back in 2012 — I simply kept my eyes on the northern skies when out on a walk. You just never know; it could be your lucky night.
Did you get a chance to see the Northern Lights last week? Tell me about your experience in the comments below.