Colors in the Sky - Aurora Borealis
AURORA - APRIL 5th
(This entry is going to be photo heavy!)
The past two nights have been phenomenal for aurora viewing! On Sunday night, Steve was working, but I stayed up late and periodically looked outside to see if the lights were out. I had heard through various friends that it was going to be a spectacular light show (clear skies permitting), and I didn’t want to miss them. Just about 11:30pm, I saw a couple of green bands across the sky. I gathered my equipment and set up my tripod in the road in front of my house. Because it was only green bands (only green bands?! I sound like an aurora snob!), I decided against driving anywhere for viewing.
At first the aurora showed in green bands stretching across the sky. There were several of them, and a few were directly overhead. I tilted my head back and noticed that the Big Dipper was directly overhead. I could see the stars through the green and white bands of light.
The green light spread out and filled more and more of the sky. At times it was as if the heavens were adjusting a dimmer switch; the green light would brighten and illuminate the snow and the trees and my house, and then quiet down.
Some bands turned into curtains, showing folds in the light (known as striations). Other bands were more ribbon-like, twisting and turning in a narrow band as they danced across the sky. I began seeing tinges of magenta and purple and yellow and bright white. It was amazing! Suddenly the lights began shifting very quickly, spinning and twirling onto themselves. A moment later there was an explosion of light; a dome of brilliance directly over my head. The light seemed to come from a hole punched in the atmosphere. These formations are called coronas.
I’m not ashamed to say that my eyes filled with tears at the sight of all this beauty. It was the best aurora display I have ever seen in my life. It truly overwhelmed me. My neighborhood was silent. Even the neighborhood dogs had become still. I heard a crackling. It sounded like static electricity.
There has been much debate about whether the aurora makes sounds. Many scientists say it doesn’t. Many people say it does. At the risk of sounding like a crazy person, I’m going to agree with those who say it does. I heard a distinct crackling sound standing there in the middle of my road. Surprisingly, Steve - who was watching the same incredible light show from the mine site - mentioned hearing the aurora crackle as it danced overhead. He told me this without even knowing that I had heard the sounds! How can it be that both of us heard crackling sounds, if the aurora is a silent occurrence?
The light show went on for more than 30 minutes. Then, after the bands became dimmer and dimmer and the colors subsided, patches of the sky began pulsing with deep magenta light. It was like something out of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and I actually entertained the thought that aliens were trying to land on earth. *grin* It was truly a phenomenal display!
The lights dance over my house as the show starts:
