The “Northern Lights” or Aurora Borealis are generally associated with the extreme part of the northern hemisphere near the Arctic Circle. The phenomenon is caused by particles emitted during solar storms interacting with gases in Earth’s atmosphere to create a natural light show. During intense solar storm events, more particles are emitted and the lights are visible further south on the globe, as occurred last weekend after one of the strongest reported solar storms since 2017 and is expected to continue intermittently as the sun approaches the height of its active period called the solar maximum. This solar maximum occurs every 11 years or so. This isn’t the first time the Northern Lights have been visible well below the Arctic Circle, but it may be the first time the event has been so well and publicly documented, thanks to technology. Local photographer Michelle Cox caught the above image of the Aurora Borealis last weekend on Strawberry Creek at about 3 a.m. using an iPhone Pro 15 with the long exposure setting.
