We saw the Northern Lights’ glory in January 2024.
We chose to go in January because our chances improved and, according to my astronomer son, they won’t be as good for another dozen years.
Sigh. The night skies truly were glorious, and a psalm rang in my head over and over again.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
Psalm 19: 1-3:
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Headed to the viewing site
We traveled in a curious people-moving snow vehicle three miles away from Chena Hot Springs to view the lights from a more remote spot.
Chena Hot Springs is considered one of the premier spots to view the Northern Lights in the world, and we traveled through a frigid night to the top of nearby hill, elevation around 2200 feet (or 1/2 mile high).
When we reached the top of the hill, I stepped out into what, for me, was the most awe-striking moment of the Northern Lights’ glory.
Even though they weren’t there.
This is what I saw:
Click on the photo for a larger view and marvel at those constellations!
If felt like the universe came down to kiss the earth; almost as if you could touch those stars with your mittened fingers.
And for me, the best moment of all came a minute later.
My son joined me and named the constellations, one by one.
A wind blew up, chilling us down to near -40s, and turning east, I saw this:
That’s the moon in the center, and the ribbons of faint color on either side are “moon dogs.“
Northern Lights’ glory is not always seeable
While there’s no real way of booking a trip to guarantee seeing the Northern Lights glory two months in advance and knowing for certain if they’d even “come out,” we tried.
Choosing, however, a weekend of a gibbous moon, lessened our chances of a spectacular showing.
We simply had too much moon.
Still, the photos astound.
It’s important to note that because of that moonlight, we couldn’t see with our naked eyes the fabulous photos you may have seen in the past.
The young women had to adjust their camera phones’s lenses to remain open for at least 20 seconds to get these shots.
The photos all were the result of leaving the lenses open. They did not, however, use filters on their iPhone or Android phone.
Standing in the frigid air looking at the sky, the only hint the Northern Lights might be active was a shimmer, or a faint haziness, against the absolute darkness.
That’s when the young women sunk their tripods into the snow and opened the shutters.
Did it have to be so cold?
It warmed up a few days later, but by then, we were back in California.
The explanation below explains, perhaps, why people can better see the aurora during the winter–though plenty of my friends in Canada and Minnesota have seen them in the summer.
We went north at our astrophysicist’s suggestion of the optimum time (other than the gibbous moon–he apologized for not checking that beforehand).
That icy night on top of the hill, we didn’t spend all our time shivering in the cold.
(The women, btw, had to take off their gloves to shoot those photos. A salute to them!)
Chena Hot Springs supplied a heated yurt with warm drinks and noodles through our five-hour visit.
We spent a good portion of the time inside, telling stories, warming our bodies, and running outside when someone declared a sight worth seeing.
I’m so glad I went.
I’m so glad I never need to go again!
Thank you to our children, for making the trip so wonderful.
Tweetables
Fantastic photos showing the Northern Lights’ glory! Click to Tweet
No filters, but 20+ seconds of an open lens to see the Northern Lights! Click to Tweet
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