HALLIE EPHRON: There's not a lot on my bucket list, but the one thing I'd still love to see is the Aurora Borealis. When I was in Alaska (the Inside Passage) I saw a teeny tiny streak of luminescent green from a boat's roof deck at two in the morning. Coulda been my dinner disagreeing with me.
Then, last week the Aurora came to town (we're just south of Boston)! Here's a picture that my daughter took using the NIGHT MODE setting on her iPhone camera. (She said just looking up at the sky with the naked eye, there were NO COLORS. None at all.)
She walked over to our local park after dark and there it was.
It's the same field where my daughter played baseball and fortunately there are no lights in it at all.
I, of course, slept through it.
We went over again the following night (hope springs) and, of course, it was just us and the crickets.
Also, it turns out my phone is so old that it doesn't have night vision. Hopefully I'll have it by the time there's another solar storm.
For anyone who's interested, here's a link to information from my local paper about using your cell phone to capture pictures of the Northern Lights.
Did the Aurora come to your town and were you among the lucky ones to see it??
Sadly, although we tried, we were not fortunate enough to get to see the Northern Lights; we did, however, catch a fleeting glimpse of the elusive comet . . . .
ReplyDeleteHow exciting on the comet!
DeleteI didn't even know about it, so I missed it. Actually don't know if I would have seen it in my area.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of it being in OUR area... but there it was.
DeleteTake heart if you missed it, 2025 is supposed to be when the sun flares peak. There will be more opportunities to see it!
ReplyDeleteGosh I hope we get another chance!
DeleteI missed seeing it in Ottawa since my curtains were closed and I did not know about it until the next day.
ReplyDeleteBut I did get to see the Northern Lights on my second trip to Reykjavik Iceland in 2017. Magical.
We'd hoped to see the in Iceland, too, but we were there when it was daylight for 23 hours a day so it wasn't likely.
DeleteI was there February- March. Prime viewing time and it was 20 degrees warmer than Ottawa so I wasn't complaining. I would love to go back to Iceland in the spring or summer.
DeleteI've missed all the recent showings, but have seen northern lights in the darker night sky up at the cottage in summers past. A natural wonder!
ReplyDeleteAgain, I slept through it! Gorgeous photos! I have been seeing many on social media.
ReplyDeleteZzzzz, right there with you, Diana.
DeleteYour daughter captured more color than I did with my phone here in Cincinnati, Hallie. But there was definitely what they call a "pink streak".
ReplyDeleteMy oldest daughter lives in Traverse City, and she has become an aurora chaser, getting familiar with the scientific markers for the next display, and getting updates from whichever agency tracks solar flares. She has gotten extraordinary photos, some right from her deck or yard. Their home is at the top of a fairly high hill alongside a golf course, so there is a lot of sky. Last week she was awestricken by what must have felt like living right inside the Northern Lights. Some of her photos had the night filter on, but then she just took them straight, the lights were so intense. At one point the corona was right overhead, and the entire sky was Schiaperelli pink with blue swirls.
A Facebook wag suggested there might be an upswing in peaceful deaths, now that so many people have fulfilled that particular bucket list wish.
Ha ha ha!!! So maybe I should put off catching the next "sighting."
DeleteI saw pictures of the aurora taken in Cincinnati, but we had nothing, not even with the night setting on my phone. Yes, the aurora is on my bucket list. The photos from Cape Cod beaches with no city lights were fabulous.
ReplyDeleteI know... practically in my backyard, but it wasn't that vivid here.
DeleteThey were visible in my area, and I missed them, too. Looks like we're in good company.
ReplyDeleteI've seen the photos others around here took of the light show, but all I saw was the inside of my eyelids. Zzzzzz...
ReplyDeleteToday (night) there is a Super Hunter’s Moon which is the biggest & brightest full moon of the year. I believe it is when the moon is closest to the Earth. But in our area there is a thick cloud cover so can't even see the brightest moon! :(
ReplyDeleteThe moon has been AMAZING and getting brighter. If you can't see that then your chances of seeing the aurora are zilch.
DeleteI was with my son and his family and we were eating dinner after the baby was in bed and by the time we went out it was all over and it was cloudy mostly. The next night some women friends for over at my house and we went up the hill and with the phone camera I did see some pink in the sky. But nothing like the pictures from the night before. Holding out for next year! Holding out for next year!
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed for next year.
DeleteIt has been visible in my area a few times in the last year (very novel for us too) but I don't have a fancy phone and I'm sticking to my sleep schedule. Friends with newer phones have shared some amazing pictures.
ReplyDeleteUpgrading the phone is so expensive... and besides, I *really* want to actually "see it"-see it.
DeleteSadly, I didn't see it either. Even though it is plenty dark here, I don't have a good view of the right part of the sky. Maybe if I walked down to the road but I'm not about to do that in the middle of the night. I had seen it years ago and I will try again someday. People who have seen it consider themselves specially blessed and rightly so.
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty magical.
DeleteSadly, I didn't get to see it. Even though it is plenty dark here I don't have a good view of the particular part of the sky to see it. Maybe if I walked down my driveway to the road I'd have better luck but I'm not about to do that in the middle of the night. I might try again someday though. I have seen it before but it was a very long time ago. It's a shame that not everyone can experience such an amazing and beautiful sight.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter just went where there was a big open space so she could see the whole sky. And there it was.
DeleteI suspect here outside of Atlanta I am too far south to have them visit. The one time I was in Alaska, it never got dark enough to see them. It sure is a wonderment. Maybe one day... -- Victoria
ReplyDeleteI do think Atlanta is too far south.
DeleteI did!! Northern Ohio, close to Lake Erie--the pink/fuchsia colors were wonderful to behold--even over my house--with the naked eye. My phone sees only a black sky even in night mode, so that's all the color I could see. Someday I hope to be able to see the full range of colors. (Flora) But last night, alas, could not see the comet :-(
ReplyDeleteOh, Flora - SO jealous!
DeleteI saw it! I could even see it with my naked eye, though of course the view through the camera was much more intense. The most exciting part to me was that it wasn't static, but almost pulsating. The pink would almost disappear from view, then show up strong again. This was from the county north of Columbus, Ohio.
ReplyDeleteIt's almost as if it's alive.
DeleteIt has now become a joke between my husband and me. We tried night after night to see the Northern Lights after neighbors saw them near Bern, driving around looking at the sky, and the next week we looked for the comet exactly when and where (we thought) it was supposed to be. And what did we see? NOTHING. Oh well. I know people who went to Iceland for two weeks in January to see the Northern Lights and never saw anything because it was too overcast. Now that's truly unlucky.
ReplyDeleteSounds like my luck with meteor showers.
DeleteToo many lights around me to see much if I actually remembered to look, which I didn't. I have been enjoying the build up to the Super Moon. That huge orb has been visible over the eastern foothills as I drive home from work.
ReplyDeleteAnd when it's just coming up over the horizon it's like a giant's oatmeal cookie.
DeleteHow wonderful! Yes, I was able to also capture a great shot that same night as we too are south of Boston. Last March, I spent a week in Finland and we saw the Northern Lights our first. Night in Lapland about 10 miles from Russia! It is certainly worth it to grab your coat and head outside. My view was around 9:30 PM! Alicia Kullas.
ReplyDeleteThat's when ours was... closer to 10. Waving, Alicia!
DeleteIt came to my town but I didn’t get to see it.And I tried. Now I know what I did wrong. And yesterday My physical therapist told me yesterday he was with friends in the parking lot of a restaurant around the corner from me last Thursday. And they accidentally saw it! I was jealous! When I was in the third grade I saw it but didn’t appreciate how rare it was to see in CT.
ReplyDeleteDebRo
I hope to one day see it the "real" way with my eyes, not my camera.
DeleteShe came to Pittsburgh. A local photographer I follow posted amazing pictures.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, that night was very cloudy in Ligonier, so I didn't see if it reached all the way down here.
Clouds are a definite aurora-killer.
DeleteI'm not sure if we could have seen it in LA. And I'm not sure where I would have gone to see it if we could have. So no, I haven't seen it yet. But I really want to at some point.
ReplyDeleteGriffith Park Observatory.
DeleteOoooh of course. I wonder if they posted any pictures...
DeleteI think it visited the northern parts of my county in Virginia. But I was in Texas!
ReplyDeleteRight, too far south.
DeleteIt was supposedly in Maine, but I haven't seen it. Of course, I'm surrounded by trees. My view of the stars overhead is excellent - not a lot of lights out here - but I NEVER see the horizon from home. And as much as I'd like to be Adventurous Addie, I'm not driving somewhere at 9:30 at night in the hopes of seeing the northern lights.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I'd pay good money to go to the resort I read about in Iceland (or Finland?) which has luxury bubble tents where you can lie in your bed and see the Aurora Borealis and the northern stars. That's my idea of astronomy.
Hey, why, if the county is Finland, are the people Finns? We don't call the inhabitants of Scotland Scotts.
Sure we do. They refer to themselves as Scots, one "t".
DeleteOh. Never mind. LOL
DeleteHa ha!! Julia go to a ball field. Bring mace.
DeleteI have seen the lights 3 times. Twice in Seattle, and once in Tampa, while watching a revival of the 10 Commandments at a drive in theater. Was like Mother Nature wanted top billing.
ReplyDeleteI always thought the Biblical passage about Ezekiel and his vision of the wheel was psychogenetic. But maybe he was seeing the Aurora Borealis, or the southern hemisphere version.
TAMPA???
DeleteYes, it was in 1989 and happened again 2003, and in May, 2024. I missed it both time in the 21 century.
DeleteIt was gorgeous here in Southern Wisconsin, visible with the naked eye and amazing with a camera phone. I wish I could paste a picture, but don’t seem to be able to.
ReplyDeleteI know, it's a weakness of Blogger. Wish we could have pictures with comments, too.
DeleteWe didn't see it, but I think we should have driven out to the country the night before we did. Philip has been looking for the comet and saw its tail and light around it last night. I stayed home. I've been sick, no worries, just didn't feel like chasing a comet. I've seen beautiful pictures of the Aurora people have taken, including your daughter, Hallie. Philip has had his binoculars with him at the ready.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if binoculars make the aurora more visible... no idea. Surely they help spotting a comet.
DeleteNorthern Lights have been on my bucket list FOREVER. I am consumed with envy for all who have been lucky enough to see it but that's tempered by my joy at all the pictures shared. Someday, Hallie, someday...
ReplyDeleteYes — way down in the southeastern-most corner of Pennsylvania!
ReplyDeleteOh, I was so sad and so annoyed that I missed it! And we were in a place where I bet we could’ve seen it, we just didn’t know! Rats, rats, rats, and I am swooning at all the photos. I would love to see this so much.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! I've always wanted to see the Aurora Borealis, so I'm very jealous! It definitely won't be visiting us in Singapore, but seeing all the pictures is just incredible. I can only imagine how gorgeous it would be in-person.
ReplyDelete