This past Thursday, local students and their families were able to see Northern Lights, also known as the aurora borealis, from their homes. Although frequently only able to be viewed from far-northern areas, as the name suggests, such as Alaska, Canada and the Nordic countries, those that appeared this past week were visible as far south as Texas.
Northern Lights are traditionally caused by explosions from the solar corona that collide with Earth’s magnetic fields, creating the amazing colors that we saw this past week. Due to a strong geomagnetic storm on Wednesday, the debris from the solar flare was able to accelerate further south in Earth’s atmosphere to provide a great display to a wider population of people. Last year, a similar event occurred in May, spreading the spectacular display across the country; who knows when the next large solar explosion might occur, giving us another chance to grab some more breathtaking phone screen photos?
Northern Lights sightings are expected to continue for at least the next week. However, they will continue to retreat farther north as the collisions fade. However, even if they aren’t visible to the naked eye, you may still be able to see them using the night mode function of your smartphone’s camera.
If you want to see them in-person, however, consider joining the school’s Iceland trip this year. Last year, students were able to have frequent sightings of the northern lights on their hiking trips and other activities. As always, the visit will take place during spring break; reach out to Mr. Finn with any questions.
