A few folks have mentioned being able to see the Aurora Borealis over the last few days. I was too overcast, however my daughter saw them. She and a friend flew back from the Mayan Riviera to Northern Alberta late in the evening. The had a long drive and returned to their home city at around 1 am. She said the lights were dancing around them the entire time of their drive.( which was fantastic as it was also her B Day). She took a few photos with her cell phone. She said the photo quality doesn't do the lights justice, but I think they are beautiful enough to share.
Brilliant shots Mel We looked out just after sunset and saw Jupiter and Venus very close to the setting sun. They were very close (visually) and very bright. Looking North it was cloudy. I checked several times in the evening and a few times in the night but all I saw were a couple of airplanes I guess that's it for chances of seeing the Aurora, my Dad only saw it once in 85 years so not looking good on the probability scale
Your girl took some nice shots, Mel. We have not had luck. Folks here have seen the lights, but not here. The conditions were perfect last night, but no luck. Here is what they looked like above my country, up in northern Friesland, I think:
Good pics Melody and Sjoerd. Haven't seen them here in Redditch west midlands but have seen Jupiter and Venus close together in a line. For a few nights the moon was in line also.
That's a beautiful shot Sjoerd. They happen here, but I only catch them maybe once a year....because I turn into a pumpkin at 10 pm everynight. When I lived closer to the Yukon border we saw them frequently, and could hear them. They gently roar....like a distant train. There were much more hues of purple and red up there as well. Here I only see blue and green usually. Apparently, according to CBC news we can expect more Northern Lights until 2025. This a really interesting article that explains it all. The picture in the article is a lake about a half hour outside of our little town. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/northern-lights-solar-maximum-noaa-1.6428684
Interesting article Mel Clear sky here tonight but not a trace of the Aurora Bad shot of Venus and Jupiter, best my camera can do on full zoom... I can see 3 of the 4 Galilean moons of Jupiter with the binoculars
I enjoyed reading the article, Mel. Thanks again. You mentioned that you think the Northern Lights make an audible noise to be heard here on earth. Do you really think so? It is interesting to hear that because when working in Alaska, Northern Lights were very common to see. Someone told me that the sound that I heard was coming from the Lights. Knowing how slowly sound waves travel, I always thought that it was just a tale the Alaskans told newly arrived folks. As the years went on though, my reasoning began to wain. My Bride feels sure that it is a myth. I have never found any scientific evidence that supports this idea. I guess that it isn’t important but at least now I have heard this from a “third party” that I can trust. Haha. Tell me what you know about this phenomenon…or are you pulling my leg.
No leg pulling Up North we used to drive to the bridge outside of town that went over the Muskwa River to see them from a nice vantage. I've heard them many times in the complete silence, but not every time. Hubby worked in Norman Wells and on the Beaufort Sea in earlier years, and he heard them regularly there. He describes the sound differently but he was also much further North than I have been. My Uncle builds ice bridges and delivers fuel to the most remote regions of the Northwest Territories, and I have a friend that lives in Aklavic - they both heard them a couple days ago. The sounds were dubbed a myth for a long time, but they have now proven the sound exists and can be audible on earth under certain weather conditions and locations. The first link is a two minute exerpt of a University lecture explaining why they make noise. It also shows what they look like from the space station, which is cool. The person in the below link should have stopped walking on the snow....but if you listen carefully you can hear something. ( I think) https://www.facebook.com/OnlyInLapland/videos/do-northern-lights-make-a-sound/243796126863600/ https://www.theguardian.com/news/2023/jan/05/noises-of-the-northern-lights-weatherwatch
I checked out the links and vids. It sounds interesting. The sounds that I heard were a sort of “frapping” sound. It is still hard to imagine, but there does seem to be some evidence emerging. I don’t feel so crazy now. Hahaha. My Bride and I have heard the same sounds ant there were always those green lights doing their thing. If it wasn’t the aurora, I really cannot imagine what it was. Thanks for your trouble. BTW, I could not see the facebook one.
Probably not a bad thing that you couldn't see that video as the person walking on the snow wasn't the best. Hubby described it as a sound of two rough surfaces being rubbed together at high speed?? kind of electronic but like sand paper with a bit of a "woosh" ( there...I said it and tried to describe it hahaha FAIL) He enjoys Pink Floyd from time to time, and he says one of the beginnings of a song reminds him of the Northern Lights up North. Sounds similiar to what you described. I think my aurora sounds were like a distant far far far away train sound because of my location. Sound travels in weird places in the winter. I don't think I've heard them here? pretty sure not. No cukoos in the cukoo nest now You are completely vindicated.
