According to legend, for the Tlingit and many other indigenous peoples, they are the spirits of their ancestors dancing in the sky to greet their loved ones on Earth. The Sami people of Finnish Lapland claim that they were created from jets of water spewing from whales. For Japanese people, they are blessings of good fortune and good looks to their children.
The Northern Lights have inspired faith, fear, and art for thousands of years. As the days get darker, the Northern Lights season begins. This winter could be epic in northern and central Columbia.
“The sun’s activity follows a regular pattern of activity called the solar cycle. For the past 300 years, the solar cycle has cycled through regular 11-year periods of maximum and minimum. We are currently in 2024. We’re heading into the next solar maximum, predicted for 2020,” said Dr. Kyle Reiter, a physical scientist with Natural Resources Canada’s Canadian Hazards Information Service. black press media. “Solar maximum is the period on the Sun when there is the most area on the Sun that can generate activity that causes magnetic storms and auroras.”
Auroras – northern hemisphere auroras, southern hemisphere auroras – occur when charged particles (electrons and protons) collide with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere, producing tiny flashes that fill the sky with multicolored light. Billions of flashes occur over time, making the aurora appear to be moving across the sky.
The aurora borealis occurs almost every night from August to May in an oval-shaped aurora above the magnetic north and south poles, but is less common further south. This year and next may be the best chance in a decade to see the dancing lights…maybe.
The sun is the primary driver of auroral activity, Reiter said.
“We are nearing solar maximum, which is the biggest driver of the increasing trend in auroral appearances. However, there are complex chemical processes in the upper atmosphere that are associated with auroras, and these “is the subject of active research,” he said.
Lorne Smith had seen the light before, but in 2017, shortly after moving to Lake Plessy, 100 miles south, she went outside with her dog one night and saw it overhead. I discovered an incredible show.
“I’ve seen it in other places around the world, but it was pretty spectacular,” said Smith, 65. He was completely hooked. “I started looking here almost every night and learned how to take photos using an iPhone at the time. Since then, it’s just progressed. I moved to a better iPhone, then a better camera, and ever since. I keep taking pictures.”
Over the past two years, Smith has spent more than 100 nights outdoors, sometimes in very cold weather. He has hundreds of spectacular light photos, most of them taken at Plessy Lake and other nearby lakes in the Southern Caribou, where there is little light pollution. South Green Lake, South Horse Lake, Crystal Lake and the eastern end of Sheridan Lake are among his favorite locations.
He uses an app that alerts him to solar flares. This does not guarantee that you will see the light, but it does give you a warning that it is likely. Several apps are available on Google and Apple app stores, including Aurora Alerts.
“It’s really spectacular to see when they’re really strong,” he said. “There’s a great horizon there and you can see the light rising up there, but there’s no light pollution at all.”
Smith created a calendar of his photos and was asked to license those photos for various projects.
“It’s very flattering, but I don’t do it for the sake of it. I love to go out and see them. Sometimes I’m out by myself at 2 o’clock in the morning, but it’s really nice. That’s the thing,” he said.
Space Weather Canada provides forecasts of geomagnetic activity. May Connected to aurora activity. Apps like Aurora Alerts, Aurora Forecast, and My Aurora Forecast & Alerts provide daily or hourly updates on potential activity, and the BC Aurora Enthusiasts Facebook page provides alerts and space to share photos and sightings. Offers.
Rob Romijn of Prince George started the page about three years ago after realizing that while most other provinces had such groups, there were none in British Columbia. Ta.
“So many people didn’t know they were found in many parts of British Columbia or how to find them. They also didn’t know how to figure out when and where they were happening. “It was,” Romijn said. “There’s a science to it.”
Primarily through his own research and help from other aurora trackers, Romijn has grown his page to more than 28,500 members.
“The most common question is, ‘Are there any opportunities in (insert city or town)?'” he says. “That’s not a question I want to answer. Everyone thinks they have to specifically ask their position, but that’s very wrong and that’s not the group’s goal.”
Romijn seeks to educate his followers, including that there is no guarantee they will see the light. All there is is persistence and patience, he said.
“When you’re first chasing the aurora borealis, you’re more likely than not to see them. Once you learn what to look for (from a data perspective), your hunts will be successful more often,” he says. Told. “The reason a lot of people don’t succeed is because they’re waiting to see if someone is seeing something. If the data is good, go. Stop asking and get out now,” he says. If you don’t, you’ll miss out.”
The lights are choppy at times, so be patient, Smith added.
“Be prepared to wake up at 1 in the morning or 11 at night. We’re out by 3:30 in the morning,” Smith said. After Smith goes to see her final light show at Plessy Lake, she plans to return to Chilliwack to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren.
And be prepared to find a suitable location, he added.
“You have to look for them. Most of the time they’re in the northern sky, so you need to find a nice clear spot to look for them and hope for the best results.”
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