I had the great opportunity to see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) while I was sitting on the back porch of my home in Alaska. I was visiting with Colleen O'Brian last Friday night after a group of us had went to the movies. As we were talking an extraordinary thing happened for me. The sun went down and the sky turned dark. I could see stars for the first time in months. This was a sign that the summer had gone by quikly and my Alaskan experience was coming to an end. During this evening discussion about our shared experiences teaching for Trailside Discovery Colleen noticed a pale white curtain snake accross the sky
She pointed out for me the Aourora Borealis. This marked the first time in my life that I had seen this phenomenon. I have had lots of firsts here in Alaska: first time in Alaska, first time on the west coast, first time to visit a glacier, first time rock climbing, first time mountain biking, first time river rafting, first time teaching 3rd Graders, first time working with a great group of people in Anchorage. I hope that this first willl not be my last. I anticipate that as the nights grow longer I may have another viewing of the spirits playing in the night sky.
The aurora borealis may be one of the most beautiful and mystical natural phenomenon on Earth. The northern lights hang high up in the sky, 60 miles above the surface of the Earth. The light is produced like the smae light htat is produced from a neon sign. Auroral lights occur when high speed electrons collide with atoms in the upper atmsphere. Different kinds of stoms produce diferent kinds of light. The common greenish white light is produced form atomic oxygen while the pinkinsh light is produced from molecular nitrogen. Solar wind from the sun is what powers the light shows. When there is increased sun spot activity the solar winds increase, and when the solar winds increase the northern lights increase. The stronger the wiinds the farther south you can see the show. There is a webpage that posts the forcast for the aurora that you should check out. (Click here)
The time that I was fortunate enough to see the aurora borealis it was a milky white curtain the slowly floated accross the sky. It seemed to move and change shape like a silk scarf floating in the heavens as I watched from the Earth below. I am very thankful to have had this opportunity to watch the night sky glow.
