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!
Diary #724
May 14, 2024 by Maggie McNeill
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Maggie,
I totally agree with your point on how understanding the mechanics of the aurora, enhances the enjoyment. The first time I saw them they were pretty disappointing – no colours, just strong outlines of manoeuvres in a dark, back-lit sky. Admittedly, I was a little too far south in the wilds of Aberdeenshire, at the time. I also knew very little about the cause of the phenomenon. I was a bit frightened. I ran home.
Fast forward some 17 years or so and even though I am further south, the light show on Friday night (10th May) was incredible. Especially for this latitude. Pink, green, white and movement.
I just wish that everybody including the Local Authorities understood that the recent displays of the aurora borealis will have been a once in a lifetime event for a lot of people (who don’t or won’t travel) and, turned the lights off.
Maggie I tried to use your Amazon Wish List but it does not come up with your address even though I have added your Wish List to my friend list in Amazon. Not sure what to do, it wouldn’t seem right to ask for your physical address.
As far as I know, all you need to do is buy something and it’s automatically sent to me; the only part of the address that shows publicly is the city & zip code.
I looked at the settings and there’s a message from Amazon saying, “We’re experiencing issues with the purchase of list items from third-party sellers. We’ll have a fix out soon.” So maybe that’s giving you some problem?