In the days leading up to May 10,2024 the surface of the Sun was alive with activity. At one point, a prominence broke in two and outrageous amounts of plasma and magnetic energy were ejected into space at millions of miles per hour. Then, at least 2 more of these coronal mass ejections were sent our way. Were it not for the way various layers of our atmosphere intact with this energy, life on Earth could not exist. As it is, profound beauty is the result of this safety net. The Aurora Borealis flowed through the sky as if light was being poured from a decanter of magic light. I’ve photographed the moment many solar storms have interacted with Earth’s upper atmosphere. Most times they appear as distant rays of light, far to the north. They flicker and dance in a most appealing way. I sometimes think I hear a sound like wind chimes in the distance when I see this. This night was incredible though. I know it was all in my head, but I heard a glorious symphony all night long while watching this event. Colors visible to the unaided eye flowed, pulsed and danced for hours on end. It was an emotional experience made even more special by the sense of community that quickly developed among the onlookers. Here is a new image from that night. The aurora was over-head with Silex Spring in the foreground. Post-shoulder-surgery boredom has me red-evaluating the thousands of images from that night and I’m finding a few that have been hiding in plain sight!
