I Saw the Northern Lights

I never stay up late enough to see cool celestial events like the Northern Lights. But I couldn’t sleep the night of May 11, so at 10:30 p.m., I went outside to see if the Northern Lights (that everyone was talking about) were happening. At first, I didn’t see anything. There were enough lights from houses, cars, etc. that I didn’t think I’d be able to see them.

And then… there they were!

This photo is of a night sky filled with vertical streaks of greenish lights. There's a flat field and a distant mountain range, and a sprinkling of lights from surrounding houses.

I could see shimmering green streaks dancing in the sky, and I felt delighted as if I’d witnessed a bit of magic. I decided to try getting a photo with my iPhone. Wow! The photos looked even better than in real life, as the camera picked up bright pink colors in the sky.

This photo shows an impressive night sky filled with greenish vertical lights as well as bright pinks. The photo is framed by a mountain range and a tree branch.

When I went outside at 10:30, it was 60 degrees, which was comfortable. I stood outside for nearly an hour, watching the lights and listening to the cattle by our house chewing their cuds. Suddenly, the air turned icy cold, and I shivered, so I went back inside. Then, I snuggled into my blankets and slept well.

This is a photo of a night sky filled with bright pink and pale green lights, and speckles of stars. A mountain range is in the background, while the vague shapes of some cows are in the foreground.
You can barely see the outlines of the cattle in the dark.

Did you get to see the Northern Lights? This was the first time I’ve ever seen them. I’m glad I had the chance!

Wishing you a wonderful week!

Author: Michelle

20 thoughts on “I Saw the Northern Lights

  1. Hi Michelle, I have seen the northern lights a couple of times. We lived in rural Maine when I was a teenager and I saw them when camping out in our field in the summer. Also saw them a memorable time in suburban Boston region (before we moved north), red all the way up to the zenith. We sat on our roof top (a flat mansard style) and gazed at the heavens for hours. My brother says that was in ’68 (I am that old!)
    I missed comments on your previous post and want to say that your hermit crab pattern is delightful! But when they scurry over your toes when you are swimming at the beach it can be alarming! Your gnome birthday party is so much fun! I love that you made real treats!!! 🙂
    Keep up the wonderful, creative, playful things you do!

    1. Thank you so much for your lovely comment, Betsy! It made me happy! It’s so great that you got to see the northern lights twice and have such nice memories of them!

  2. I am so happy you had the chance to see them.
    For some reason I didn’t get the memo and missed it. Even though we were driving 60 minutes after midnight… The next night I kept going outside but didn’t see anything. I am bummed I missed it. And a bit mad at myself for not knowing.
    But I a happy you managed to see the main happen.

    1. Thank you, Tobia! Aww, I’m sorry you didn’t get to see them this time. I just lucked out, so that was cool!

  3. That is SO beautiful!!!! Thank you for sharing such moment of awe with us. I have never seen them, even when I went to Iceland (that is supposed to be a land of aurora borealis). We went in the spring and, apparently, they are best seen in winter. Incredible pictures!

    1. Thank you so much, Daria! I’m sure you’ll get to see them some day on your travels!

  4. So happy for you that you saw them Michelle! I was lucky enough to see them too, so beautiful & as you say it was like magic, stepping outside & there they were! Beautiful photos.

    1. Thank you, Engie! I enjoyed everyone’s photos as well. And there were also some great spoofs going around!

    1. It was a lucky thing that I couldn’t sleep and that I even remembered to go look! Wouldn’t you think that living up North we’d have a chance to see them more often? But nope. This was the first time for me.

  5. Yay, Michelle, you saw the lights. I love how you described how you could hear the cows chewing while the lights were dancing. I didn’t get any photos when I saw them, but this show was fascinating as it was 360 degrees in the sky. Thanks for sharing your photos and story!

    1. I’m so glad you got to see them too, Shelley! The photos were fun but seeing them in motion was a whole different experience.

  6. I tried to see them but it never happened. Fortunately people like you took wonderful photos and shared them. Very cool for you!

    1. Thank you, Ally! The stars aligned, so to speak. I couldn’t sleep and I actually remembered to look for them!

    1. Thank you, Judy! It was a lucky chance that I couldn’t sleep and that I even remembered to look for them!

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