The night sky above Surrey sparkled with the northern lights last week.
Rare, but not unique for the Lower Mainland, they danced their way across the city for three days from Oct. 10 to Oct. 12. These above shots were taken in Cloverdale.
Earlier this year, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) issued some tips for viewing the aurora borealis when another magnetic storm produced the lights in May,
The CSA urged aurora enthusiasts to get out in the early evening.
“The aurora appears a few hours after sunset, when the sky is clear, and tends to become more intense around midnight,” CSA wrote on their website.
“If you are lucky enough to get to see the aurora … here's how to get the most out of your observation night.
CSA recommended:
- Choose a location free of light pollution. The bright city lights that light up the sky make low-intensity auroras invisible.
- Check the aurora forecast to find out whether the northern lights will be visible in the sky near you.
- Visit Space Weather Canada for Canada's forecast of geomagnetic activity, which is responsible for the aurora borealis.
- Check the local weather forecast before leaving. Clouds, precipitation and the full moon make it difficult to see the aurora.
- Look all around you, not only north: auroras may appear anywhere in the sky.
- Check the position of the auroral oval in real time.
- Be sure to bundle up—it gets cold at night!
- Remember to bring your camera if you want to try to photograph the aurora.
See below for aurora colours explained:
