Purple skies

Light pollution kept me from seeing the aurora borealis last night, but local news reported the northern lights were visible as far south as Colorado Springs. Amazing. A friend up in Estes Park, Karen Waller, had the advantage of both elevation and darker skies.

Early in the evening she got a shot that included the Big Dipper:

And later, a little after midnight, the familiar vertical streaks appeared:

Here in Thornton I was completely blinded by porch and street lights. Having higher ground to the north didn’t help either. Nor are all those stars visible from down here on the plains. That’s just one more advantage of being up in the mountains. On clear nights, the starry skies there are breathtaking.

Advice from local news was to use one’s camera, set on night mode. But Karen said she could see those characteristic streaks without her camera.

National news said the best viewing tonight will be immediately after sunset. After that the aurora will begin to fade. It’s expected that the lights tonight will not be quite as spectacular as last night. And a third night is promised.

Tonight I must remember to check the webcams I’m so fond of. Can’t believe I didn’t think to do that last night. Those on Pikes Peak might be particularly good.

Thanks again, Karen, for being my eyes last night.