Majestic auroras and moon-planet trio thrill sky watchers

Full of surprises. That’s how I’d describe last night’s spectacular geomagnetic storm. From the breakup and expansion of a quiet auroral arc at midnight to the explosion of bright rays and pulsating lights at 2:30 to dawn’s majestic coda of … Continue reading →

The aurora saved its most colorful act for dawn, when the moon – along with Jupiter (top) and Venus – rose over Lake Superior as seen from Duluth’s Brighton Beach. Details: 24mm lens at f/2.8, ISO 1600 and 5-second exposure. Photo: Bob King
Full of surprises. That’s how I’d describe last night’s spectacular geomagnetic storm. From the breakup and expansion of a quiet auroral arc at midnight to the explosion of bright rays and pulsating lights at 2:30 to dawn’s majestic coda of moon and planets.
The show reminded me of major storms of the past in for its variety of forms, brilliance, duration and even color. Yes, color. Whites and pale greens ruled, but purple-pinks made their appearance around 2:40 a.m. and a vivid “last hurrah” of pink curtains swept by the moon during twilight.
Look at the difference in the auroral oval, a permanent feature of Earth’s upper atmosphere, before the storm early on ...