Around 7:00 pm tonight, I went out to pick my daughter up from basketball practice and was greeted by a very bright red Auroral display to the North (below Casseopia). I know people along the border states of the U.S. probably do not get very excited, but in North Carolina they are not at all common.
After picking my daughter up, we headed for Falls Lake (about 2 miles from my house) to get a better view (fewer city lights). They were so bright, you could see the reflection of the lights in the lake. They extended about 30 degrees horizontally across the sky and about 25 degrees from the horizon upward. Mostly red with hints of green along the bottom and top. You could see streaks of color on the outer edges.
After I returned home, I got my wife outside to see the faint red glow that remains in the sky. My eight year old girl and 5 year old son were interested, but nearly as impressed as I was at the sight. Perhaps in a few more years they will appreciate the beauty of the event.
Clear skies,
Steve Murphy
Raleigh, NC
After picking my daughter up, we headed for Falls Lake (about 2 miles from my house) to get a better view (fewer city lights). They were so bright, you could see the reflection of the lights in the lake. They extended about 30 degrees horizontally across the sky and about 25 degrees from the horizon upward. Mostly red with hints of green along the bottom and top. You could see streaks of color on the outer edges.
After I returned home, I got my wife outside to see the faint red glow that remains in the sky. My eight year old girl and 5 year old son were interested, but nearly as impressed as I was at the sight. Perhaps in a few more years they will appreciate the beauty of the event.
Clear skies,
Steve Murphy
Raleigh, NC
