Ever since I moved to Seattle in 2015, I’ve been hoping to see the aurora borealis, but no luck; even had we not been at the wrong part of the sunspot cycle, Seattle’s light pollution would have made it unlikely at best. So I was pretty jazzed to hear last Friday that the biggest solar storm since 2003 was generating intense auroral activity worldwide. I went outside about an hour after sunset, then again about 11:30, and was disappointed both times; since it wasn’t very cloudy, though, I figured I’d check again later. So when I got ready for bed and went upstairs about 1 AM, I looked out of my office window (which faces east) and saw a faint green glow shimmering in the sky. I shut off my computer and desk lamp, then the lamp beside my bed, and as my eyes adjusted to the darkness I was rewarded with a much brighter glow. I watched for a while, gazing up in wonder at the gorgeous light show the sun, the Earth’s magnetic field, and the laws of physics were putting on for those who cared to look up, and found that my understanding of what caused the phenomenon actually enhanced my appreciation of it. I thought that it might be too faint for my phone camera to capture, but was delighted to discover that the exact opposite was true; the images in my camera were actually bolder than what my aging eyes could make out unassisted. By the time I decided I really should get to bed it was almost 2:30 and I had taken several really good shots, posted them on Twitter, and texted them to several friends I knew would appreciate them; I only hope I don’t have to stick around until 2035 to see it again!
Archive for May 14th, 2024
Diary #724
Posted in Diary, tagged STEM, Sunset, Washington (state) on May 14, 2024| 3 Comments »
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