Aurora Borealis
:date: 2024-10-10 23:26
Apparently the sun has been going crazy recently and the aurora borealis has been putting on quite a show in places I would not have expected. I lived in Alaska for years and never saw them. It seemed strange that at only about 46 degrees latitude it would be possible to see them but it turns out that they form a kind of ring around the magnetic north pole. And the magnetic north pole is actually in Canada right now meaning that indeed it can be possible to see the northern lights in the continental US. I managed to figure out the best time and go out and have a look. With our very low levels of light pollution (basically none) here's what we saw in the sky over our house.
Note also that we still have stars in our sky.
I was tipped off by this forecast.
It was quite spectacular and we decided to take the canoe out on the lake to get a wider view than our normal dense forest. Quite a show! The photos are ok given how tricky this can be to photograph.
Here are some photos that some neighbors on our lake took two days ago.
If you want to see the northern lights, no need to go to Norway, Siberia, or Alaska. Check the space forecast and come for a visit to the wild forests of Michigan.
UPDATE 2024-10-13
Apparently the northern lights were recently visible quite farther south than usual in many places. While it is extraordinary, we seem to be at the peak of an 11 year solar cycle. According to this article, the prominent aurora will be making appearances until 2026.