The beautiful sunshine in Seattle on Saturday gave way to an equally awesome display in the night sky as the northern lights made a rare appearance over the city and parts of Washington state.
Photographer Tim Durkan, who captured a similar display last May, was at it again in the wee hours of Sunday morning.
“Just home from an amazing ‘Saturday Night Special’ Aurora Borealis over the Emerald City – WOW…!” Durkan wrote on Facebook. “I got to the party a little late last night (around 2am) but heard it was bright all over the state!! Did you catch a glimpse or even a photo? Lets see it in the comments!”
The aurora was the result of an outburst of charged particles from the sun, known as a coronal mass ejection or CME, which swept over Earth’s magnetic field. SpaceWeather.com said the CME seemed to have only a weak effect at first, but then the storm swept through a crack in the field and sparked surprisingly vivid displays as far south as Arizona.
Other astro types had their eyes — and camera lenses — on the skies, too. Astronomer/educator Alice Enevoldsen inspired a spur-of-the-moment observing campaign in West Seattle that circulated between Don Armeni Boat Ramp and Myrtle Reservoir Park.
City lights tend to interfere with the show and long-exposure images provide the most dramatic viewing when aurora occurs.
THERE IS AN AURORA IN SEATTLE RIGHT NOW 11pm, Sat 5/27/17 @westseattleblog @WestSeaWx Requires a camera to see it. https://t.co/T9lAoS6Q3e
— Alice's AstroInfo (@AlicesAstroInfo) May 28, 2017
My 21st year in Seattle and this is my fist time seeing the Aurora Borealis. Thanks @AlicesAstroInfo and @westseattleblog! #NorthernLights pic.twitter.com/FQy9k1xoYI
— Jamie Kinney (@jamiekinney) May 28, 2017
Aurora in Ellensburg WA. @TamithaSkov @NWSSeattle pic.twitter.com/kFImZUeGEz
— Chris G (@ranchogregg) May 28, 2017
@NWSSeattle @Q13Tim #auroraborealis at Port Gamble S'Klallam Indian Reservation #northernlights pic.twitter.com/hFrEdd1y3q
— Joseph Price (@Greyrock360) May 28, 2017
Holy Innocents Catholic Church in Duvall, WA with the aurora behind it tonight. #komoLOZ #aurora #Auroraborealis @NWSSeattle @ScottSKOMO pic.twitter.com/ycyXktjIlf
— Denny Atkin (@dennya) May 28, 2017
Skunk Bay Weather was also on high alert. Greg Johnson is the man behind the cameras at the northern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula, documenting dramatic weather and night skies. A time-lapse video on Twitter showed the colors come into focus.
Auroras All Night Long! #wawx @NWSSeattle @ScottSKOMO @KING5Seattle @KellyKIRO7 @Rebecca_Weather @WeatherNation @WunderCave @TWCChrisWarren pic.twitter.com/KchYyorcc1
— Skunkbayweather (@Skunkbayweather) May 28, 2017
Images from last night.. @NWSSeattle @ScottSKOMO @Rhonda_A_Lee @NickAllardKIRO7 @MJMCDERMOTT @WeatherNation @WunderCave @TWCChrisWarren pic.twitter.com/dR1FBA9F28
— Skunkbayweather (@Skunkbayweather) May 28, 2017
The view further north, in Whistler, B.C., also showed the skies over the Canadian ski resort awash in pink and green.
Welcome back to Whistler Ms. Aurora – you've been missed! #thismorning @GoWhistler @WhistlerBlckcmb #HelloBC @TamithaSkov @AuroraMAX pic.twitter.com/xv83LTCsb0
— David McColm (@triwhistler) May 28, 2017
The storms are subsiding now, according to spaceweather.com. “Earth is exiting the CME’s wake, and our planet’s magnetic field is quieting. Nevertheless, there is a lingering chance of G1-class storms and high-latitude auroras after nightfall on May 28,” the site reported on Sunday.
Check out this link for more on what causes the auroras.