SONOMA, California.- The phenomenon of the northern lights might be observed from Cloverdale and Geyserville, in the valley of Sonomain an unusual phenomenon for low-latitude regions like this region of the Bay Area.
On his Twitter account, the photojournalist Kent Porter realized the phenomenon of the aurora borealis, which is moving south, according to reports from Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado.
The auroras, also known as northern and southern lightsare most common in the polar regions of the Arctic and Antarctic, but can go into the mid-latitudes on rare occasions during strong geomagnetic storms.
Strong solar winds are caused by magnetic energy and electrons being flung into space by the sun.
The stronger the solar storm, the greater the effect, especially if the resulting flare is directed toward Earth.
Geomagnetic storm affected the Earth
Last Sunday, April 23, a strong solar wind and a geomagnetic storm caused an impressive display of auroras that extended to California, Arizona, Arkansas and Virginia. According to the coordinator of the program Space Weather Prediction CenterBill Murtagh.
What was seen on Sunday night was “the biggest thing in the last five years,” explained the expert.
The storm persisted for approximately 12 hours, often at severe levels.
More activity like this is expected in the coming years due to the maximum sunspot cycle the sun is in.
Marc Adamus/Northern Lights Photographer of
1/11
‘The forest of lights’ Alaska, United States “Walking through these ice-covered forests is one of the most magical experiences, but also one of the most difficult,” explained the author of this photograph. For this multiple photograph, the author used the last light of twilight to record the landscape, and hours later he took the sky and the aurora. This selection of images is produced each year by Capture the Atlas, a travel and photography blog that helps camera enthusiasts plan their trips and improve their shots.
Credit: Marc Adamus/Northern Lights Photographer of
Larryn Rae/Northern Lights Photographer of
2/11
‘Tranquility’ Lake Tekapo, New Zealand “The aurora is my favorite night sky phenomenon to capture and tonight was just incredible,” explained the author of this image. The aurora season runs from September to April in the Northern Hemisphere (Aurora Borealis) and from March to September in the Southern Hemisphere (Aurora Australis). According to Capture the Atlas, the best time to view and photograph them is during the fall and spring equinoxes, due to the orientation of the Earth’s axis.
Credit: Larryn Rae/Northern Lights Photographer of
David Oldenhof/Northern Lights Photographer of
3/11
‘Aurora Australis’ Tasmania, Australia “Tasmania is the southernmost state of Australia. In addition to having beautiful coastlines, World Heritage-listed rainforests, and beautiful national parks to photograph, we also have the added bonus of being able to witness the most intense auroras in the country,” the author explained. Another requirement for seeing the Northern Lights is a dark sky, away from light pollution, Capture the Atlas explains.
Credit: David Oldenhof/Northern Lights Photographer of
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Marshall Lipp/Northern Lights Photographer of
4/11
‘Guardians of the Lake’ Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota “I was amazed because sometimes the aurora would dance above my head, and I was able to capture some images just as I imagined them,” said the author of this photo. The northern lights are produced by the interaction of the solar wind with the Earth’s magnetic field. As it is weaker in the polar regions, it is there where this phenomenon is best appreciated.
Credit: Marshall Lipp/Northern Lights Photographer of
John Weatherby/Northern Lights Photographer of
5/11
‘Whirlwind’ Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland “I had been in Iceland for two days when I received an alert that a massive solar flare had just occurred and that a great aurora would soon form,” the photographer recounted. “An aurora show is always special, even following seeing it many times,” he added. Capture the Atlas not only searches for images taken by the most renowned photographers, it also appreciates new talent and recommends new places to appreciate this and other celestial phenomena.
Credit: John Weatherby/Northern Lights Photographer of
Herry Himanshu/Northern Lights Photographer of
6/11
‘No one home’ Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada “In all my years of chasing auroras in the area, I have never seen such vivid and fast-moving formations,” said the author of this photograph. Although auroras are best seen in remote areas, the massive arrival of solar wind can produce auroras that are seen in populated areas and less so near the poles. In 1938 an aurora borealis was seen in Spain, although it was confused by some with bombings from the civil war that was taking place at that time.
Credit: Herry Himanshu/Northern Lights Photographer of
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Amy J. Johnson/Northern Lights Photographer of
7/11
‘Narnia’ Fairbanks, Alaska “Over the years I had spent many nights in this region expecting a beautiful aurora display, only to be disappointed. However, that night I arrived at the right place just in time for the start of an incredible show”, said the author.
Credit: Amy J. Johnson/Northern Lights Photographer of
Frank Olsen/Northern Lights Photographer of
8/11
‘Reine’s Northern Lights’ Reine, Lofoten Islands, Norway “Although I had been to this place many times, I had never been able to take the right photos,” said the author of this image. “When the Northern Lights started to develop, I got out of the car and started recording a crazy show that lasted all night.”
Credit: Frank Olsen/Northern Lights Photographer of
Filip Hrebenda/Northern Lights Photographer of
9/11
‘Embracing the Green Lady’ South East Iceland “I found an interesting close-up with colored highlights and waited for the dawn to appear. She suddenly started dancing exactly where she wanted, right on top of the mountainside!” the author recounted.
Credit: Filip Hrebenda/Northern Lights Photographer of
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Jacob Cohen/Northern Lights Photographer of
10/11
‘Aurora over Alaska’ Sutton, Alaska “We arrived at the indicated point at 9:30 PM and the sky was already lighting up. We knew that tonight was going to be special but it turned out to be the show of my life,” said the author of this image. If you are in an area where these phenomena are visible, the indications that Capture the Atlas offers can help you take spectacular photographs.
Credit: Jacob Cohen/Northern Lights Photographer of
11/11
On video: Did you see images of the impressive northern lights that are forming? We explain to you what this phenomenon is due to These days, images of the northern lights that are being seen both in the northern and southern hemispheres have gone viral on social networks. Albert Martínez, Univision meteorologist, explains why they are forming and what causes the color changes in these spectacular natural phenomena.
