A Surprise Occurrence

Last night after 9:00 PM, I received a phone call from Becky. (Kudos to Becky) She said there is a red glow in the sky and asked if I saw it.  I immediately thought - the Northern Lights - phone in hand, I ran outside  to verify.

Sure enough...in plain view in the dark night sky was the dancing color better know as Aurora borealis.  This was my second view of Aurora from our farm in twenty years - a rare occurrence at this latitude.   Tonight, Aurora was indeed red.

Aurora borealis is most common nearer the pole.  Although, while living in Alaska for 2 1/2 years, I only saw the beautiful lights - green in color - once.  That time a friend called, woke me in the wee hours of the morning to inform me -  she was ecstatic.  Kathy picked me up and we drove around Wrangell Island to get the best views.  That particular event lasted hours, and of course, was exciting and very memorable.

red glow in center - Aurora borealis dispersing - much more amazing in person

Last night, the lights were dimming rapidly.  My initial view was of two distinct red, vertical bands; one wide and one narrow.  Quickly, though, the bands dispersed into more of a glow, then disappeared in the blackness of the night.  Only the stunning, twinkling stars remained.  How ever long, the magical happening was special, exceptional - worth the run outdoors without shoes - good thing this autumn night was still on the warm side.

This grouping of 5 pictures was taken using a tripod with a different camera setting than the first picture at top.
The black below the red is the woods below the garden - notice the tree tops.
These views were not visible to the naked eye, but my camera picked up these fabulous shots.
Notice the change, the dispersion from the first photo to the last....so  interesting!

I usually make a concerted effort to check for the Northern Lights every time I am outside at night - for that chance opportunity.  This time Becky was the observant, the lucky one.

According to an Internet search, the Aurora borealis is caused by some sort of collision of charged particles with atoms and may be unseen to the naked eye. The more complete explanation is very scientific and complex, so if you would like more information, start with the Internet.  All I need to know is that the occurrence is one of beauty and a privilege to witness.

Again, I am fortunate (thanks to Becky).