Any northern lights tonight?

[Mathgod]

Just saw them directly overhead during the past half hour. Super cool show by mother nature. Seems almost like it's science fiction and too spectacular to be believed, but it's 100% real and natural! What also was neat about it was the sound of it. It sounds like howling wind, even though there is no wind where I was standing.

Really, really great stuff and one of the coolest things I've ever witnessed.

[Ashartus]

Saw nothing from my place, but I have a bright street lamp right outside and a hill to the north.

[calf]

So, I always jokingly said that Northern Lights were a myth because despite everyone seeing them, sharing pictures, etc, I never could.

But last night my wife gave me the 'a-ha moment' - what you see in the pictures with the greens and purples, etc, aren't necessarily what you see with the naked eye. The Northern Lights looked more like slightly brighter spots in the sky - almost like whispy clouds at first glance.

When you take a photo with your phone, especially on night mode, that's when all the colours pop.

This was when looking outside in my well-lit neighborhood.

Is that what everyone else experiences? Or do I need to get to a different spot to see the colours without using a camera, eyes checked, etc?

Thinking that sometimes what you're looking for isn't necessarily what one should be looking for, which is why they can be missed by people so often.

[GGG]

That’s mostly because we have too much light pollution here to see them well. If you are in the middle of nowhere you can get the dancing green bands like the pictures rather than the transparent wisps.

Now you don’t get the pink and red explosions that you see but that bright green you definitely do.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by calf

So, I always jokingly said that Northern Lights were a myth because despite everyone seeing them, sharing pictures, etc, I never could.

But last night my wife gave me the 'a-ha moment' - what you see in the pictures with the greens and purples, etc, aren't necessarily what you see with the naked eye. The Northern Lights looked more like slightly brighter spots in the sky - almost like whispy clouds at first glance.

When you take a photo with your phone, especially on night mode, that's when all the colours pop.

This was when looking outside in my well-lit neighborhood.

Is that what everyone else experiences? Or do I need to get to a different spot to see the colours without using a camera, eyes checked, etc?

Thinking that sometimes what you're looking for isn't necessarily what one should be looking for, which is why they can be missed by people so often.

In the city, that is what you experience. That has been my experience. Last night was the first time I ever knowingly saw the Northern Lights.

My wife grew up on a farm and she said you can see the green with your own eyes when you're under dark skies. Not as vivid as some of the images we see but you can see color.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by calf

So, I always jokingly said that Northern Lights were a myth because despite everyone seeing them, sharing pictures, etc, I never could.

But last night my wife gave me the 'a-ha moment' - what you see in the pictures with the greens and purples, etc, aren't necessarily what you see with the naked eye. The Northern Lights looked more like slightly brighter spots in the sky - almost like whispy clouds at first glance.

When you take a photo with your phone, especially on night mode, that's when all the colours pop.

This was when looking outside in my well-lit neighborhood.

Is that what everyone else experiences? Or do I need to get to a different spot to see the colours without using a camera, eyes checked, etc?

Thinking that sometimes what you're looking for isn't necessarily what one should be looking for, which is why they can be missed by people so often.

Part of that is being in the city as others mentioned. Another is that I think the index has to be higher for it to be truly seen by the naked eye.

I remember driving down Beddington Trail decades ago and I saw a green ribbon sorta flowing back and forth in the sky. Literally like an old school screen saver. It wasn't very bright, but it was distinct from the rest of the sky. It was my first time seeing northern lights and I saw it without a camera. I remember arguing with my passengers that it was northern lights but they kept disregarding it as some other type of phenomenon.

Last night was not as bright as what I saw those many years ago and it wasn't really actively moving all that much from when and where I was watching. You can go out to areas with less light pollution for a better experience for nights like last night. There will probably be nights in the future that will be brighter than last night.

[Superflyer]

You need a dark sky area. This is a map of places where it is best.
https://www.darkskymap.com/nightSkyBrightness

I went to one when I was on vacation in NS. We went with the sole intention of checking out the sky. We sat on the beach as it got darker then a light came on in a building about 100' away. It was bright but we still got good views of the sky, I saw more stars then I ever saw before. As we left the park I looked up to the sky and it was awesome. I pulled over to the side of the road and all the lights were off. The views were so amazing. The sky was nothing but stars. You could see outlines of gas clouds with the naked eye. It looked like those amazing pictures you see of outer space, not as good as most but you could make out a lot of things.

[PepsiFree]

I saw a lot of colour during the show back in May (in the city). I don’t know if it was just a brighter display or whatever but it definitely looked like what you imagine the northern lights to look like. The pictures of course popped on a whole other level.

[Paulie Walnuts]

I couldn't see anything in Chestermere, but I see a bunch of people did.

[undercoverbrother]

I don't get jazzed for them.

Maybe it is because I saw them so much when younger

[Lubicon]

First time I've seen them since moving to Calgary 27 years ago and easily the most spectacular I've seen in my life. And I've seen them a lot growing up and working in Northern Alberta.

[troutman]

My iPhone pictures were much better than what I could see by my naked eye.

[surferguy]

The pictures are always better for sure, that said last night was a pretty dazzling display. I could reds, greens and purple with the naked eye in my backyard. They were glowing, pulsing and dancing a whole bunch. It was very dynamic.

One of the best I’ve ever witnessed to be honest.

[photon]

I used to live further north and I remember once we were up near Cold Lake and they were the most impressive I've ever seen, they looked like some of the pictures but with the naked eye with reds and pinks visible too.

For dark sky, when I was in Hawaii I went up the volcano to watch the sunrise and apparently that place is a 2 on the Bortle dark-sky scale.. but it was a full moon so unfortunately wasn't able to see the really great dark sky viewing.

[Fuzz]

I'm starting to think my partial colour blindness doesn't allow me to see these. Every time people say they are going off in the city I go outside, look around for 15 minutes, see a tiny hint of wispyness, and assume I missed it. Maybe it's me. And yes, I eat my damn carrots!

[SeeGeeWhy]

Just saw some more while on my walk ~10:30-11:20. Still might be going but they were fading as I turned in.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

I saw a lot of colour during the show back in May (in the city). I don’t know if it was just a brighter display or whatever but it definitely looked like what you imagine the northern lights to look like. The pictures of course popped on a whole other level.

May 10th was a legendary storm, seventh strongest since 1957 on this list. Second best by Ap (which I think puts more weight on sustained activity). Also there is a lot less light pollution straight up than looking through all the haze/atmosphere towards the horizon.

Originally Posted by troutman

I can even see them in Coleman.

At one point we had a corona overhead here in Montreal. I got my bucket list photo of a nude model posing in front of the aurora! Site was light-contaminated so not exactly the way I wanted it, but I have it.

[Bigtime]

Weather accounts online making noise about tonight possibly being a gooder too.

[surferguy]

Just came to post the same thing! Neat!

[Sr. Mints]

Okay so we're going to go try and check 'em out out in the country tonight. Where's a good spot, not too far-ish? Calaway Park's parking lot? (haha, but also not joking)