We’re all amateur astronomers when the northern lights show up as vividly as they have lately, not the least of which was Tuesday night.
Northern lights enthusiast and librarian Karina Douglas-Takayesu says we’re in the middle of an eleven-year cycle that began in late 2019, during which a lot of spots on the sun release bursts of energy.
“What happens, it releases a lot of this very like super-charged solar gas out in the direction of the Earth and the other planets,” she explains.
Earth is protected by a magnetosphere around it. As those gases bounce off it, the energy is released as light, ranging from a slight glow to lots of colours dancing across the sky.
Douglas-Takayesu says the technology of the last several years makes a good camera less vital to good photos. A handheld cell phone does the trick.
“Anything that’s from the last let’s say five years, you are able to get a good picture when it’s active light. Just keep looking up. Also try to see if you can get a little bit away from anywhere where there’s sort of light from town.”
The first audio link below is the interview with Douglas-Takayesu. The second one deals with how to learn more about the phenomenon.
