On Thursday, the Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, a colorful display of light in the night sky in the northern hemisphere, was on view in many parts of Connecticut, including right here in Greenwich.
Local skygazer, Paul Curtis, shared his photos of the vibrant pillars of pink and green he spotted on Thursday night around 7:30pm.
If you missed it, there’s a chance there will be a repeat of the stunning displays on Friday night.
Northern lights viewed from Greenwich, CT on Oct 10, 2024 Photo: Paul Curtis
Northern lights viewed from Greenwich, CT on Oct 10, 2024 Photo: Paul Curtis
Northern lights viewed from Greenwich, CT on Oct 10, 2024 Photo: Paul Curtis
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration “NOAA” forecast, several states in the northern United States could have another chance to witness the northern lights Friday night after a geomagnetic storm brought the aurora borealis farther south.
Auroras in the southern hemisphere are known as the southern lights, or aurora australis.
Typically auroras appear at latitudes in the polar extremes. This week, aurora hunters, or “auroraphiles” – people who loves the Northern Lights – enjoyed spectacular celestial shows caused by a gigantic ball of plasma and an accompanying magnetic field that erupted from the sun earlier in the week. The eruption, a “coronal mass ejection,” triggered a strong geomagnetic storm, resulting in both northern and southern lights.
If you’re a skygazer, you need not travel to the Arctic Circle or Australia for another chance to see the rare colorful auroras anticipated to be visible from New York City to Boston on Friday night.