Aurora Borealis
The sensation was indescribable—a spiritual weightlessness, as though I were being lifted into the universe itself. - Ella C., USA
One evening, sitting in a lawn chair outside, waiting for the Perseids, I felt an overwhelming sense of calm washing over me. It looked as if shimmering lights from the heavens were shining down on me. The sensation was indescribable—a spiritual weightlessness, as though I were being lifted into the universe itself. The moment was pure magic, an unspoken connection between myself and the skies.
My partner realized it might be an aurora. We grabbed our cameras, and what we saw through the lenses was nothing short of extraordinary. The sky, which to the naked eye seemed subtly (but heavenly) luminous, erupted into a celestial symphony of color. Brilliant pinks, deep reds, electric purples, and vibrant greens painted the skies in a breathtaking display.
Yet, for all the colors and brilliance that our cameras captured, nothing compared to the feeling of that quiet moment under the sky. Even without the visible hues, I could feel the presence of something greater, something wondrous and beyond explanation. It was as if the heavens were truly shining down, embracing me in it’s silent glow.
More about the aurora from the Wonders Team
The aurora is a result of a high speed collision of charged particles from the sun with the Earth's upper atmosphere. The magnetic field at the poles redirect the charged particles towards the poles which then interact with the particles in the atmosphere. Molecules such as nitrogen produce red colors when they absorb the charged particles and molecules such as oxygen produce the more common green hues.
Auroras are typically seen closest to the poles but can occasionally be seen in other latitudes when a geomagnetic storm is sufficiently strong. It's easier to see the aurora in areas with lower light pollution. As light pollution grows, seeing the treasures of the night skies becomes more difficult.