This past week presented an incredible opportunity to view the Aurora Borealis. We were out taking our regular walk and just after dusk the elusive Northern Lights appeared in the sky. At first it was barely visible then they opened up into a bright heavenly display.
Catching the Big Dipper in a pink, purple and green Aurora is rare. While we don't sit outside and stare at the sky every night, it really isn't something that is common. Usually we just see green lights, but this display even had some reds.
The photos are all taken with an S24 on night time mode (longer exposure). The Aurora was most visible in the North West from where we were. The city of Calgary would be down to the South East and there really isn't much except a few houses between us, the mountains and the sky.
With the naked eye we could still see the awe inspiring display, I took some videos to prove it wasn't some camera trick or AI. Most humans will never see the Northern lights, they live in cities, they don't live in the north (or south if viewing the Southern Lights). A few times we missed them because we were sleeping or couldn't be bothered. The last time they appeared here was back in May. It's often once or maybe twice a year and could happen at any time during the night.
Of course it has to be a clear sky, cloud cover blocks them, just like the stars. Light pollution hides them and if you aren't at least 40 degrees off the equator the chances of seeing them are extremely remote. Calgary is at 51 so they aren't so rare up here but it's nothing like in the arctic. Another thing is during the Summer when it's nice at Northern latitudes it doesn't really get dark enough so they're best viewed in the Spring or Fall.
When the Aurora Forecast is glowing bright red over your country (this was 2 days before the photos were taken and we also saw the Aurora that night) it's time to go somewhere dark and stare into the Northern sky. There's also local groups you can join where they will let you know if anything is visible.
We weren't the only ones captivated by the beauty. At times like this it makes me glad we live in the North. Thank you for reading and have a nice week!
All photos were taken with an S24 and are unfiltered or edited.