Everett Herald Photo: Aurora Borealis from Monroe
The northern lights were easily spotted in Monroe recently, a light show that occurs five to six times a year this far south.
Aurora borealis lights sky
Phenomena occurs here five or six times a year
By
If you see brilliant red-and-green streaks in the sky in the next few days, don't think it's an alien invasion or an unannounced nuclear test.
Aurora borealis, or the northern lights, have been strutting its stuff in recent days, and it's likely the phenomenon will continue to be visible in the next few days if weather forecasters are correct.
Just ask Darrell Hambley, a Monroe-area resident and amateur astronomer, who recently grabbed his Pentax single-lens reflex camera, 200 speed film and tripod for a late night photo shoot in his back yard.
Hambley opened the aperture of his lens to 3.5 and trained it on the bright spot in the clear sky for 12 seconds, capturing a brilliant exposure with some stars showing through.
Although he often gazes at the night sky, the recent view of the aurora borealis was the first time he's seen it.
That's not uncommon, said John Sahr, an associate professor of electrical engineering and adjunct associate professor of earth and space sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.
That's because the northern lights aren't always clearly visible this far south, perhaps only five or six times a year, he said. Even then, cloudy skies often mask nature's show.
"The aurora borealis is worth looking at," he said.
The lights are caused by material thrown off by the sun at high speed, so-called solar winds. "Great big blobs of the atmosphere of the sun" interact with the earth's magnetic field high in the ionosphere, causing the multicolored light show and creating electricity.
Recent "gusts" of alternating fast and slow winds have helped put on the display, Sahr said.
The lights are usually more visible when the sky is darker on cool winter nights, he said.
Sahr knows about as much as anyone at the university because of his research bouncing radar off the aurora borealis. Among other things, his work is looking at how the lights affect satellite communications, and he's learning more about how to target tricky targets with radar.
He said the solar gusts are forecast to continue for a few days. National Weather Service meteorologist Kirsten Willman said the sky should clear for the next few nights, with the possibility of late night and morning clouds or fog.
Here are some tips on seeing the northern lights:
- Head to higher elevations to get away from fog.
- Find a clear view looking north-northeast. A dark location is preferable.
- The best times are between 10 and 11 p.m., or between 1 and 2 a.m.
You can view Sahr's Web site, which has links to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration site: http://rrsl.ee.washington.edu.
You can call Herald Writer Jim Haley at 425-339-3447 or send e-mail to haley@heraldnet.com.