Northern Lights

John Starr - Naturalist Photographer

by John Starr

In the early 17th century, the astronomer and scientist Galileo Galilei coined the term  “Aurora Borealis”. Aurora was the Roman goddess of dawn, and Boreas was the Greek name for the north wind.

As beautiful and mesmerizing as the aurora borealis, or northern lights are — the phenomenon is, in reality, a very furious and violent occurrence

Electrons carried from the sun smash into Earth's upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 72 million km/h, but our planet's magnetic field protects us from the attack.  As Earth’s magnetic field deflects the particles toward the poles the dramatic process transforms into a theatrical atmospheric miracle that has fascinated people for a millennia.

At any point in time, the sun is ejecting charged particles from its corona, or upper atmosphere, creating what's called the solar wind. When that wind crashes into Earth's ionosphere, or upper atmosphere, the aurora is born. In the Northern Hemisphere, the phenomenon is called the northern lights (aurora borealis), while in the Southern Hemisphere, it's called the southern lights (aurora australis). 

The solar winds are constant, and can be active at any time of day or season. In winter, the skies are much darker — making it much more of a possibility to witness this phenomenon. Although the solar winds are constant, the sun's emissions go through a roughly 11-year cycle of activity. Sometimes there's an interlude, but other times, there are colossal storms that fire upon Earth with extreme amounts of energy. This is when the northern lights are at their brightest and most frequent. The last solar maximum, or period of peak activity, occurred in 2014, according to the U.S. National and Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), placing the next one in approximately 2025.

The forecast for the aurora borealis is very accurate. If you’d like to receive free aurora alerts you can download the iPhone app aptly called, My Aurora Forecast & Alerts; alternatively you can check aurora forecasts on www.spaceweather.go.ca. 

The lack of light pollution in cottage country makes for vivid and brilliant displays. Check the forecast frequently, hope for a cloudless night, and get out there to witness Nature’s most magnificent displays that have captivated people for eons.

Follow John Starr on Instagram @johnstarrphoto

John Starr - Naturalist Photographer

John Starr - Naturalist Photographer