The skies over Ottawa may or may not be clear over the next couple of nights, but at least it will be mild. That will make it a lot more comfortable for me as I stand out on the back deck, scanning the skies for the northern lights.
According to this article from CTV.com, a significant solar flare will be rushing past the Earth over the next little while. The plasma wave surrounds the Earth and when it collides with the gases in our atmosphere, the collision results in energy being emitted as photons which cause the aurora borealis – the famous and unforgettable northern lights.
Have you ever seen them? I clearly remember my first time. I was driving from Ottawa to Sudbury one Christmas – maybe 1990 or so – with my ex-husband and his brother. It was brutally, bitterly cold and we nearly froze to death standing on the side of the highway where we had pulled over to admire the display. I’ve seen them a half a dozen or so times since then, but never have I seen dancing curtains of multicoloured light like that first time.
According to this observers’ page, last night’s display was seen well into the US. If it’s clear where you are tonight, it may well be worth taking the occasional peek outside to check for the northern lights!
Growing up in Northern Ontario I have seen them many times… most vividely I remember them in July of 2004… it was an extremely cool summer night and they were dancing over the lake… it was one of those few extraordinary moments that you experience in life… really something to see!
During the summer of 1987, I was working in a geological field camp up near Dryden in northern Ontario. It was late one evening in July and I was taking a water bottle from my tent over to the cabin with the propane freezer to make an ice pack for my lunch the next day, when I stopped dead, awestruck by the colours in the sky.
I had seen northern lights before — pale green curtains shimmering in the sky, but indistinct and hard to see. But these were a different species altogether. Bold green waves of colour washed over the sky form horizon to horizon, interspersed with reds and even a bit of blue. They bloomed and faded and bloomed again. They danced and bowed. I yelled and all the field camp stood outside, jaws dropped, for the hour or so that the show lasted. I will never forget that. Thanks for bringing back that memory, Dani. And thanks for the heads up. I will certainly be checking outside tonight.
When I lived out west and would camp in Northern Alberta, I recall sitting on a beach watching the spectacular show well into the wee hours of the morning. I’ll check it out…they are just so truly amazing!
Thanks for the heads up Dani. I don’t remember the first time, but I have a few good memories.
Living in Manitoba, there were Northern Lights all the time, we lived outside the city and I could follow the ribbons of lights all the way home.
When we moved back to Ottawa in ’92 there was an awesome display, so great my girlfriend and I pulled over on the 417 on the hill in Kanata, along with a bunch of other cars to watch the swirls of colour. That particular display was the most beautiful I had ever seen here.
I live in Florida, so my opportunities to see the Northern Lights are nearly nil. However, I did drive to Portland, OR for my stepson’s wedding and driving home through South Dakota very early one morning, I noticed the green curtains waving in the sky… It wasn’t very colorful, but still amazing. I want to see the colorful version one day… even if I have to move north to do it.
It seems like I saw them once, but it feels like it was a dream.
I may not see them tonight – but I’ll still look at the sky and think of you!
I woke my son one night at 2am, when we were living in northern Minnesota. We had red northern lights and they were amazing. We drove out to the mine pits and bundled up in blankets and laid on the hood of the car watching for hours…
I miss that.
They are beautiful! We get them quite frequently here of course but it doesn’t make me appreciate their beauty any less. It’s worth staying up for.
We see Northern Lights quite often here in Northwestern Ontario (we’re not all that far from Dryden where alison saw them).
No matter how many times I see them, I am awe-struck by their beauty. I know there are all kinds of scientific explanations around how the Northern Lights happen, but I prefer the magic of just standing in the wonder of it all.