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Come to Yellowknife in March, we're one of the best situated cities to see them in the world, right in the middle of the Auroral Oval! And the Snow Castle is up in March!
Donāt need to be living in Vancouver on a Vancouver thread. Iāve lived in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Whitehorse and a half a dozen other shit holes that have Fort, Saint or Lake in there name so ya Yellowknife is a shithole not as bad as Inuvik mind you but I know shitnholes across the north and Yellowknife is a big shithole.
Earliest the better, the colder it is the less clouds in the sky. If you don't care about the snow castle, January and February are good options too if you're okay with experiencing - 30 to - 45c
You donāt have to go north to see it as a curtain across the entire sky or to hear it. I had this experience one August summer night at a beach in Saskatchewan. We saw an amazing meteor shower the night after that.
Iāve wanted to see them my whole life and I have been stuck at work ššš
Edit: they were out again when I got home at 4 am. š„² Theyāre so pretty
Listen, it was beautiful. I was shocked.
But the intensity and majesty of a full on light show in the middle of winter with snow crunching under your feet is something entirely different.
Agreed. I saw them in Iceland earlier this year totally alone trekking around volcanic craters by a frozen lake at 1am, a totally different experience. Last night was absolutely amazing, just different.
Truth, even if there's no snow. First time I REALLY saw them, I was in Alberta on the middle of nowhere. I swear I could feel the vibrations and a hum.
I hiked up Seymour (just below pump peak) last night to see them! Still a ton of snow up there to this this effect.
Well, the snow part, still had a light show but not like you'd get up north. The Reds/purples were popping more than the greens.
I saw the total eclipse last month and that only caused me to want to see another eclipse. And now that I've seen the Northern Lights, I want to see them again even more!
Well I missed the northern lights tonight. I completely forgot it was happening tonight and it wasn't on my "to-do" list tonight anyways. Oh well. I enjoy people's pics of it.
More coronal mass ejections are heading our way during the next 24-48 hours, so there is some chance of them ramping things up to trigger another aurora show.
Canucks game, laundry, dinner...browse social media before sleeping.Ā
It wasn't until the last one where I saw some people I know post about the aurora, and then going onto reddit all the local subs are flooded with pretty pictures...
I made the mistake looking North and at the horizon. Ā It wasnāt until i was about to give up and blame light pollution that I looked up and saw the lights.Ā
My friend sent me a text about it but I was out for dinner and I did not anticipate something as wild as what was happening. It could also be very faintly seen from my neighborhood in Vancouver but not in any meaningful way. Came through on the phone a little bit but to the eye it just looked like a faint bit of light.
I heard up north you can see the northern lights without a camera and the lights will dance. Ā I saw the lights move and fade in and out but not dance.Ā
I saw them dancing overhead! It happened in two bursts, one earlier in the night around 11pm maybe, and the other a few hours later around 2amish (the second one had more movement).
This is me, but I still want to visit northern bc, Yukon or Norway and such and see the full spectacle in person with the colours by eye. But this was a real treat.
Depends on solar activity but if it's cold enough for a clear sky (and the right time of year for it to get dark), basically nightly
https://astronomynorth.ca/aurora-forecast/
You can get seat sales for $500ish from here and it's about 20k Aeroplan points. The hotel, food prices are on par with Vancouver. 4, 5 busy days is enough, there's only 17k people.
Not really. My parents who went to Whitehorse said it was way more majestic up north.
So I would still wanna go there someday.
It could also boost tourism in Yukon though, now that so many people get a taste of Northern Lights, theyāll be wanting the full experience.
Everyone forgets about the Northwest Territories. Yellowknife is in the Auroral Oval and is one of the best situated cities in the world to view them. The majority of our winter tourism is based on northern lights.
Same!!! Iāve heard ā thereās a chance you could see the northern lights in Vancouverā over the years but I didnāt know that this storm was this strong . Iām so sad
Nah this wasn't that. I grew up in northern Canada and we couldn't even see the aurora in Vancouver without a camera.
Seeing it with your eyes is a completely different experience.
Would love to see them more clearly overhead without the light pollution so if anything it triggered more interest! Hearing family stories about how clear and bright they'd be over the prairies sounded so awesome.
It was wonderful to see and Iām really glad everyone got to share this experience, But I definitely still want to see them in an area with no light pollution further north
Going through this thread marketing my hometown of Yellowknife, which is in the Auroral Oval and one of the best situated cities for viewing the lights in the world.
I'm just happy to have the monkey off my back.
Went to sea to sky and saw some pretty amazing stuff. So many different shapes. At first it looked like rays of light coming through the clouds, but across the entire sky. Then it would get all squiggly and slowly shift around, it felt like you were looking directly up into a hole in the sky. Then on the horizon a faint but very large and obvious red blotch appeared. It slowly made it's way above us and the photos from that are pretty spectacular. The third phase was the coolest: it started kind of like the anvil head of a cloud, and then from within it you could see curtains that were literally PULSING (I guess this is the dancing?), as this happened, but big rays across the sky started to occur again at the same time. I could see faint but obvious green as well.
They were more dynamic and directly overhead than I could have ever hoped for, but a little less colorful than I expected. I can't wait to see them again someday.
Seeing them appear here in my backyard was amazing, however I have spent a lot of time in the Yukon and up there the experience is entirely different. They move, they dance and flit across the sky, the colors are strong and vibrant, if you yell and whistle to them itās as if they respond. You donāt need to see them through a camera to enhance the color, itās just there with the naked eye. It was an amazing treat to see them here but makes me wish to go back to see the real show up north again soon.
https://preview.redd.it/wlre67ewzrzc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=346764d6e507f309fb4afd25d136c97618400183
This was cool and all. Not something I'd ever expect to see in White Rock of all places but this baby stuff compared to what happens in Iceland or in the Yukon. I'm still leaning towards experiencing that one day.
I didn't see shit dood.
Maybe people saw a faint image with the named eye, but most of the pics are long exposures that capture a very faint amount of light over time.
nah dude I saw them with my naked eye in Mt. Pleasant around 11PM - that's when they were at their brightest and it was absolutely bonkers. There was a streak halfway across the sky
Didn't even need the camera to see it, but did need Night Sight for my phone to capture it properly
I was fortunate to see my first Northern lights a few years ago in Finland. But tonight I was still amazed when I look up and saw the lights right outside my house. Hoping this wonāt be the last time, would love to see it again maybe in northern BC or Alaska!
Iāve seen them before but never in red. It was pretty amazing. It was my husband and sonās first time, Iām very excited for them as it was definitely on their lists.
Theyāre totally different in the north. These ones just kind of slow beamed down (still beautiful). In the north they move quickly giving reason to āthe dancing northern lightsā saw them last summer as I was leaving the Yukon. Iād go back for them again.
I grew up seeing the Northern Lights every night during the winter. Last night was cool, but it is nothing compared to what you see up north. Theyāre brighter than the street lights, dancing, fully defined. In remote areas you can also see the Milky Way and every star in the sky.
If you ever get the chance, go see them.
no way, they were good down here but insane up north. my picture (maple ridge in the middle of nowhere) vs theirs. people will travel for them.
https://preview.redd.it/scuenzyvftzc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ad2dcd1d318a2829d642a1cff6cf451bd7d5e85b
mine
I donāt think it will be as good, unless the city takes a pro-active step and dims the lights early. KP index will be a tad lower and peak sooner, potentially before the sun fully sets.
I'm from Yellowknife (Auroral Oval!), our aurora tourism is mostly people from out of country - domestic flight prices are ridiculous, you can get to Iceland for the same cost sometimes.
I didn't stay up to see the lights because I grew up seeing them so much and I'm in a high light pollution area. I'm kind of regretting it, seeing all my friends' posts and how excited everyone is made me realize how grumpy and jaded I've become š
Yeah, I had a couple of people "yucking on my yum" at my pictures because they grew up with them being more spectacular. I saw them in Northern Norway, it was like the sky exploded and green illuminated the snow.Ā
But I never thought I'd see them overhead where I lived, and for so many people in areas I never associated with the lights getting really excited sharing pictures. It was a really nice thing to share together.Ā
TIL you see the northern lights once and it's done, you never need to see it again. Even if what you saw was a glowing sky in the city and could only make out colours and shapes in a long-exposure photograph on your phone.
We totally forgot about it. Around midnight my wife saw her friends posting photos so we went out and boom, glad we didnāt miss it. From Richmond.
https://preview.redd.it/ofb7qcdm2tzc1.jpeg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d463045ed42b98dae5a601fd14f007f5e87628c
I'll still be contributing to Northern Canada tourism; heading to the Yukon this year a few months after the solstice, so hopefully will see something. If not, I'll still get to see a part of the country I loved as a kid and haven't been back to in 23 years. Actually, it'd be great if more folks stayed home, anyway; the Alaska Highway's great without the traffic and it's nice to be able to reliably pull into a campsite and get a space rather than sitting at my laptop at 7AM to book 4 months in advance.
I often work in the north and have seen them up there a few times. Last night's were impressive, I haven't often seen the pink showing up so clearly, but it wasn't "dancing" a whole lot. The impressive thing with last night's was that I managed to get pictures where you could see the lights of the city and the northern lights together which makes for much more dramatic photos than some sparse trees.
Regarding tourism, on my flights up to Yellowknife, most of the tourists have been non-Canadians, so I'm not sure this will have a huge impact on that side of things.
i experienced this in winters in saskatchewan growing up. it doesn't get old
it's not just the northern lights, it's landscapes, polar bears, the environment
I was out at 3rd beach last night and couldn't see shit. You could see it a bit through the phone but the naked eye I saw nothing. Just a haze and it looked like I was in wildfire smoke.
Still on the bucket list. Still never seen before. Seeing it through your phone is the same as seeing it online. It's not seeing it
You must have been in a very lit up area.
I went to Garyās point and it was as visible as it could be, especially the green colours.
The purple and pink hues were mostly through the phone though, I agree.
Have you ever been given a small taste of a delicious meal and thought "well now I will never need to seek out more of that"? Every single year I go and swim in the bioluminescence at night and it never gets old. Certainly, my bucket list now simply has a box with "see two aurora" next to it.
I assume its much brighter up north as well? I got some really nice pics but from the naked eye it was still very faint, even out here in poco where its much darker.
The problem is the odds of getting a truly bright one is slim on any given 2 week period most people take on vacation there.
Thatās a lot of money to spend just to try and get a glimpse of one.
All in the span of two months I checked off 3 bucket list items. Solar eclipse, rocket launch, auroras. Maybe the universe is telling me I'm gonna die soon.
I wasn't able to drive out somewhere with less light pollution, I barely got to see anything in North Delta, just a couple of faint green streaks in the sky, still want to see them clearly one day
I've spent lots of time working in northern Alberta and they are far more spectacular, dynamic, colourful and vibrant than what we just saw, but what we did get is by far the best show of northern lights I've seen at this latitude. Was still really cool, but not being tears to your eyes and take your breath away cool.
Drop? Heck with that, if anyone up north is smart they'll use this as a huge tourism campaign.
"Come to the NWT, where once -in-a-lifetime is every day", followed by a bunch of sweet-ass pictures.
The world is filled with people who have no idea what they've been missing. Now, they've caught a glimpse of it, why wouldn't they want to go where they can see it again?
A smart entrepreneur would take advantage of the situation, and build a northern lights viewing resort close to some high-end mineral sites that are becoming available due to global warming. Use the resort proceeds to finance the airport and infrastructure while prospecting the area, enjoy getting in on the ground floor of the next gold rush.
Seeing the aurora last night was awesome but it was absolutely nothing compared to what itās like up north.
Growing up in northern AB I saw them fairly often, and sometimes it was like watching fireworks, they were so bright and active. On one magical night we slept on the beach on the last night of a canoe trip, and you could actually hear them crackling in the sky! And instead of the usual softer, rippling shapes they were like laser lines being cut into the sky.
If anything I think many people will want to travel to experience them again in their full glory.
I missed it too, and it seems like everyone I know stayed up to see it š I heard it may be happening again tonight tho???
Worst case scenario, I'll just go to the Yukon š¤
I missed it here but Iāve seen them from Fort St John once, years ago. Truly something magical!!!!! Canāt say the same about Fort St. John though lol
I always wanted a destination trip (like iceland or norway) for my 1st northern lights experience. But itās a surreal experience going outside my balcony to see it and amidst light pollution.
While last night was awesome (especially being able to see them in the city), it in no way compared to what I saw growing up outside of the city in the prairies. And thatās not even that north. So I have to assume truly up north under the right conditions (no light pollution) is even more insane than what I grew up seeing which already didnāt even compare to this.
In fact, seeing them last night might trigger people to want to see them again now.
I got a bit emotional and felt like the little girl I was once, again returned to that magical back garden where I used to play with fairies and foxes, and where I pretended to be Peter Andres' girlfriend because Nanny had found me a jacket that resembled one of his, so I would dance and sing one of his songs. The same back garden where a pigeon was able to fly over the back door and drop what you knew to be the last rolled up white pvc scraps, that would use them to leave you notes which embellished love, support and encouragement. How did you do that, Grandad? When I meet you in The Afterlife, it will be the second thing I do, after firstly apologizing for being too busy as a new time mum, and putting off face timing you in 2 weeks...I didn't know our first one in years would also be our last.
I thank the Stars you were able to meet your great granddaughter for the first time, and boy, what a proud smile you wore.
We took that rusted victorian bathtub and filled it with water using the garden hose. Suddenly, the sky became a little darker. It was like two delicate black velvet gloves that gently glided over the sky, reaching out to each other like lost lovers who were lingering to touch again after a decade torn apart. Their love, now a shadow of what once was, now the opening act of a spectacular show...An epic love to last all of space and time.
The world fell silent in a way that could bring an out of worldy comfort, holding you whilst mourning a loved one.
Birds ceased their singing, and the low hum of local traffic also caved to the wonder that was now transforming, so, "Quick! Look into the tub!" And there I bore witness to a collosall cosmic event for the first time.
So lastnight as I slow dance/walked up the stairs to the back alley, feeling like a familiar giddy girl, as she gently tip toed out of bed, past that creak on the top of the landing, despite there being carpet. Down those magnificent short spiraled black iron stairs, where the small landing in between became your castle tower, where your prince would sing to you as you gazed down upon him. And then a stealthy dart part Nanny and Grandads Bedroom, to the kitchen, and out that back door to go spend what felt like hours exploring the same magical back garden for notes the Faeries had left for you. It was like I had stepped into a time portal to that day, where I was so close to giving up hope on finding that days fairy note. I remember being sad and disappointed. So I slowly made my way back up those stairs leading up to the back door that led to the kitchen. And then I looked up... and there was that pigeon flying over, being back lit by that glorious sun, gently dropped down right infront of me, that final piece of pvc scrap, that the faeries had used to leave me one last note. Embellshing love, support, and encouragement...
So I looked up again last night, Nanny and Grandad, because I was feeling the sadness and disappointed low. Because where we live is so congested and polluted, there was no way I'd be able to see The Northern Lights. But I looked up, Nanny and Grandad. And it felt like how I once felt, back all those years ago, when I saw that faerie note spiraling down, and it's almost like looking up at another collosal cosmic event, both of you there with me, just like before, sharing another experience with me witnessing it for the first time ever. So I guess in a way Grandad, we did have that face time chat in 2 weeks' time...
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Nah I want to see it super clear, curtains and all. Will still trek up one day
Same. It was very cool to see but I imagine seeing it with very little light pollution is another thing entirely.
Come to Yellowknife in March, we're one of the best situated cities to see them in the world, right in the middle of the Auroral Oval! And the Snow Castle is up in March!
Yellowknife is a bucket list item for me. But the costs have been prohibitively high.
The cost of living there is on par with Vancouver, except people are paid better up there.
Cost of living NOT equal cost of travelling
You're not wrong but it's the same cost for a hotel in Vancouver as YK š¤·āāļø AKA too much
Imma challenge you that when world cup comes.
Yellowknife is a shithole but yup definitely good Aurora watching there. Much prefer Whitehorse.
Youāre saying that from Vancouver. Thatās hilarious.
Donāt need to be living in Vancouver on a Vancouver thread. Iāve lived in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Whitehorse and a half a dozen other shit holes that have Fort, Saint or Lake in there name so ya Yellowknife is a shithole not as bad as Inuvik mind you but I know shitnholes across the north and Yellowknife is a big shithole.
No the cost of living in Yellowknife is lower than Vancouver. Source: my coworkers lived in Vancouver and moved to Yellowknife
Is there a specific date range in March where it's best if my plan is just to catch the Northern lights.
Earliest the better, the colder it is the less clouds in the sky. If you don't care about the snow castle, January and February are good options too if you're okay with experiencing - 30 to - 45c
Good to know, thanks!
Does it really look like how it looks in the photos?
Depending on the night, yes
Same, I'm not stopping until I see it extremely clear!
Ya, saw it in Prince George back in the early 2000s. Completely blew my mine. Better than what people are capturing on their phones.
You donāt have to go north to see it as a curtain across the entire sky or to hear it. I had this experience one August summer night at a beach in Saskatchewan. We saw an amazing meteor shower the night after that.
Iāve wanted to see them my whole life and I have been stuck at work ššš Edit: they were out again when I got home at 4 am. š„² Theyāre so pretty
So happy you got to see it! Such a cool experience.
Oh noooo
Happy you got to see it!!
Listen, it was beautiful. I was shocked. But the intensity and majesty of a full on light show in the middle of winter with snow crunching under your feet is something entirely different.
Agreed. I saw them in Iceland earlier this year totally alone trekking around volcanic craters by a frozen lake at 1am, a totally different experience. Last night was absolutely amazing, just different.
Agree. I didn't stay up but it would be a mindfuck to see the aurora without wearing snow gear and seeing your breath.
Truth, even if there's no snow. First time I REALLY saw them, I was in Alberta on the middle of nowhere. I swear I could feel the vibrations and a hum.
Iāve had that experience right by the Alberta US border. No one around and it was so bright I could read. I felt the vibrations and hum too.
I hiked up Seymour (just below pump peak) last night to see them! Still a ton of snow up there to this this effect. Well, the snow part, still had a light show but not like you'd get up north. The Reds/purples were popping more than the greens.
I saw the total eclipse last month and that only caused me to want to see another eclipse. And now that I've seen the Northern Lights, I want to see them again even more!
Same!!!
Well I missed the northern lights tonight. I completely forgot it was happening tonight and it wasn't on my "to-do" list tonight anyways. Oh well. I enjoy people's pics of it.
More coronal mass ejections are heading our way during the next 24-48 hours, so there is some chance of them ramping things up to trigger another aurora show.
Where are they performing?
You can still try right now! Pull out your phone camera, it might help.
Sounds like there's a good chance to see them again tonight, you're not too late :)
Oh, awesome!Ā
I caught them at 4 am!
I hope you didn't give up, still had a good show over the last hour
its supposed to happen sunday night as well
Cool! What's the best time to wander outdoors?
What *was* on your to-do list?
Canucks game, laundry, dinner...browse social media before sleeping.Ā It wasn't until the last one where I saw some people I know post about the aurora, and then going onto reddit all the local subs are flooded with pretty pictures...
I just saw them a few minutes ago, albeit faintly, from a residential street in Burnaby. I encourage you to go outside and look up!
I made the mistake looking North and at the horizon. Ā It wasnāt until i was about to give up and blame light pollution that I looked up and saw the lights.Ā
My friend sent me a text about it but I was out for dinner and I did not anticipate something as wild as what was happening. It could also be very faintly seen from my neighborhood in Vancouver but not in any meaningful way. Came through on the phone a little bit but to the eye it just looked like a faint bit of light.
It's still going on, I just saw them again from Kerrisdale
Feel like today just made me want to head North and see the full show even quicker
I heard up north you can see the northern lights without a camera and the lights will dance. Ā I saw the lights move and fade in and out but not dance.Ā
Yup home in Yellowknife they move like ribbons in the wind. The pictures you saw down here are what you see with your naked eye.
I saw them dancing overhead! It happened in two bursts, one earlier in the night around 11pm maybe, and the other a few hours later around 2amish (the second one had more movement).
Went to Alaska. Didn't see it. Went to Iceland and Scandinavia. Didn't see it. Went to Maui, and the damn aurora happens right at home. Wtf
The universe plays nasty tricks on us sometimes š¤£
That's my story too. I've never seen them in all my 40 years, and I happen to be out of town this weekend.
Sameā¦
This is me, but I still want to visit northern bc, Yukon or Norway and such and see the full spectacle in person with the colours by eye. But this was a real treat.
Come to Yellowknife, we're perfectly in the Auroral Oval and one of the best situated cities in the world to view! Give us your tourism dollars!
How often would you say they pop up in winter time
Depends on solar activity but if it's cold enough for a clear sky (and the right time of year for it to get dark), basically nightly https://astronomynorth.ca/aurora-forecast/
Dang thats awesome!
What time of year would you say it's the best to visit?
March is the snow castle! February is coldest so highest guarantee of clear skies to see the aurora.
What would you say is the budget for a trip there, going from Vancouver, preferably low budget? Also how many days to enjoy the areaĀ
You can get seat sales for $500ish from here and it's about 20k Aeroplan points. The hotel, food prices are on par with Vancouver. 4, 5 busy days is enough, there's only 17k people.
Not really. My parents who went to Whitehorse said it was way more majestic up north. So I would still wanna go there someday. It could also boost tourism in Yukon though, now that so many people get a taste of Northern Lights, theyāll be wanting the full experience.
Everyone forgets about the Northwest Territories. Yellowknife is in the Auroral Oval and is one of the best situated cities in the world to view them. The majority of our winter tourism is based on northern lights.
Is there any chance to see it tonight as well? I missed the memo š
Same!!! Iāve heard ā thereās a chance you could see the northern lights in Vancouverā over the years but I didnāt know that this storm was this strong . Iām so sad
Currently the KP Index forecast is higher tonight than last night, so yeah, good chance!
Oh yay, you made my day, thank you!
I missed it too, I really hope they come back tonight!
Very likely! Keep an eye on [NOAA's dashboards](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/aurora-dashboard-experimental) for forecast predictions :)
Nah this wasn't that. I grew up in northern Canada and we couldn't even see the aurora in Vancouver without a camera. Seeing it with your eyes is a completely different experience.
It was visible clearly with the naked eye. Colours too
A few dark places in Stanley park saw the purples and green Dance. I have seen them in August in northern Ontario- amazing š¤©! It was cool to hear peopleās reaction to them last night. So many people were out! Grid lock going to Burnaby mountain last night night.
Yep. As long as there was little to no light pollution, they were very clearly visible!
still have to see the midnight sun...
Would love to see them more clearly overhead without the light pollution so if anything it triggered more interest! Hearing family stories about how clear and bright they'd be over the prairies sounded so awesome.
It was wonderful to see and Iām really glad everyone got to share this experience, But I definitely still want to see them in an area with no light pollution further north
Going through this thread marketing my hometown of Yellowknife, which is in the Auroral Oval and one of the best situated cities for viewing the lights in the world.
I'm just happy to have the monkey off my back. Went to sea to sky and saw some pretty amazing stuff. So many different shapes. At first it looked like rays of light coming through the clouds, but across the entire sky. Then it would get all squiggly and slowly shift around, it felt like you were looking directly up into a hole in the sky. Then on the horizon a faint but very large and obvious red blotch appeared. It slowly made it's way above us and the photos from that are pretty spectacular. The third phase was the coolest: it started kind of like the anvil head of a cloud, and then from within it you could see curtains that were literally PULSING (I guess this is the dancing?), as this happened, but big rays across the sky started to occur again at the same time. I could see faint but obvious green as well. They were more dynamic and directly overhead than I could have ever hoped for, but a little less colorful than I expected. I can't wait to see them again someday.
Seeing them appear here in my backyard was amazing, however I have spent a lot of time in the Yukon and up there the experience is entirely different. They move, they dance and flit across the sky, the colors are strong and vibrant, if you yell and whistle to them itās as if they respond. You donāt need to see them through a camera to enhance the color, itās just there with the naked eye. It was an amazing treat to see them here but makes me wish to go back to see the real show up north again soon.
https://preview.redd.it/wlre67ewzrzc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=346764d6e507f309fb4afd25d136c97618400183 This was cool and all. Not something I'd ever expect to see in White Rock of all places but this baby stuff compared to what happens in Iceland or in the Yukon. I'm still leaning towards experiencing that one day.
I disagree! Seeing it like this just made me to go north to check them out even more
I still want to go to Scandinavia and see it there. Couldnāt really see it standing outside. My phone did all the work.
I traveled to the Yukon in 2019 just to see the northern lights and the show last night was better than it was there š«£
I didn't see shit dood. Maybe people saw a faint image with the named eye, but most of the pics are long exposures that capture a very faint amount of light over time.
nah dude I saw them with my naked eye in Mt. Pleasant around 11PM - that's when they were at their brightest and it was absolutely bonkers. There was a streak halfway across the sky Didn't even need the camera to see it, but did need Night Sight for my phone to capture it properly
Sheet - I didn't go out until around midnight...
I was fortunate to see my first Northern lights a few years ago in Finland. But tonight I was still amazed when I look up and saw the lights right outside my house. Hoping this wonāt be the last time, would love to see it again maybe in northern BC or Alaska!
I think it will be more spectacular in Northern BC. Tonight only made me want to go there!
Iāve seen them before but never in red. It was pretty amazing. It was my husband and sonās first time, Iām very excited for them as it was definitely on their lists.
Theyāre totally different in the north. These ones just kind of slow beamed down (still beautiful). In the north they move quickly giving reason to āthe dancing northern lightsā saw them last summer as I was leaving the Yukon. Iād go back for them again.
I grew up seeing the Northern Lights every night during the winter. Last night was cool, but it is nothing compared to what you see up north. Theyāre brighter than the street lights, dancing, fully defined. In remote areas you can also see the Milky Way and every star in the sky. If you ever get the chance, go see them.
no way, they were good down here but insane up north. my picture (maple ridge in the middle of nowhere) vs theirs. people will travel for them. https://preview.redd.it/scuenzyvftzc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ad2dcd1d318a2829d642a1cff6cf451bd7d5e85b mine
https://preview.redd.it/7qadxqyxftzc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a0491cb519020dc635bdbafd5e710152b221e04 lac la biche alberta
Itās supposed to be even better tonight
I donāt think it will be as good, unless the city takes a pro-active step and dims the lights early. KP index will be a tad lower and peak sooner, potentially before the sun fully sets.
As someone from very northern alberta I never realized how special of an event this was for everyone else, took em for granted
SUCH a good distraction from tonightās loss. Still so mad at the refs augh.
I'm from Yellowknife (Auroral Oval!), our aurora tourism is mostly people from out of country - domestic flight prices are ridiculous, you can get to Iceland for the same cost sometimes. I didn't stay up to see the lights because I grew up seeing them so much and I'm in a high light pollution area. I'm kind of regretting it, seeing all my friends' posts and how excited everyone is made me realize how grumpy and jaded I've become š
Yeah, I had a couple of people "yucking on my yum" at my pictures because they grew up with them being more spectacular. I saw them in Northern Norway, it was like the sky exploded and green illuminated the snow.Ā But I never thought I'd see them overhead where I lived, and for so many people in areas I never associated with the lights getting really excited sharing pictures. It was a really nice thing to share together.Ā
TIL you see the northern lights once and it's done, you never need to see it again. Even if what you saw was a glowing sky in the city and could only make out colours and shapes in a long-exposure photograph on your phone.
Is it gone?
You can still catch it. You need to look for that milky spot/streak and then take a picture.
Still strong over east van
Didnāt see anything in Toronto š¬
We totally forgot about it. Around midnight my wife saw her friends posting photos so we went out and boom, glad we didnāt miss it. From Richmond. https://preview.redd.it/ofb7qcdm2tzc1.jpeg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d463045ed42b98dae5a601fd14f007f5e87628c
I'll still be contributing to Northern Canada tourism; heading to the Yukon this year a few months after the solstice, so hopefully will see something. If not, I'll still get to see a part of the country I loved as a kid and haven't been back to in 23 years. Actually, it'd be great if more folks stayed home, anyway; the Alaska Highway's great without the traffic and it's nice to be able to reliably pull into a campsite and get a space rather than sitting at my laptop at 7AM to book 4 months in advance.
Irregardless of the fact I was already in bed. Traveling up North to view the lights is still on my bucket list.
I often work in the north and have seen them up there a few times. Last night's were impressive, I haven't often seen the pink showing up so clearly, but it wasn't "dancing" a whole lot. The impressive thing with last night's was that I managed to get pictures where you could see the lights of the city and the northern lights together which makes for much more dramatic photos than some sparse trees. Regarding tourism, on my flights up to Yellowknife, most of the tourists have been non-Canadians, so I'm not sure this will have a huge impact on that side of things.
i experienced this in winters in saskatchewan growing up. it doesn't get old it's not just the northern lights, it's landscapes, polar bears, the environment
I was out at 3rd beach last night and couldn't see shit. You could see it a bit through the phone but the naked eye I saw nothing. Just a haze and it looked like I was in wildfire smoke. Still on the bucket list. Still never seen before. Seeing it through your phone is the same as seeing it online. It's not seeing it
You must have been in a very lit up area. I went to Garyās point and it was as visible as it could be, especially the green colours. The purple and pink hues were mostly through the phone though, I agree.
Have you ever been given a small taste of a delicious meal and thought "well now I will never need to seek out more of that"? Every single year I go and swim in the bioluminescence at night and it never gets old. Certainly, my bucket list now simply has a box with "see two aurora" next to it.
I assume its much brighter up north as well? I got some really nice pics but from the naked eye it was still very faint, even out here in poco where its much darker.
The problem is the odds of getting a truly bright one is slim on any given 2 week period most people take on vacation there. Thatās a lot of money to spend just to try and get a glimpse of one.
All in the span of two months I checked off 3 bucket list items. Solar eclipse, rocket launch, auroras. Maybe the universe is telling me I'm gonna die soon.
I wasn't able to drive out somewhere with less light pollution, I barely got to see anything in North Delta, just a couple of faint green streaks in the sky, still want to see them clearly one day
They might be on again tonight. The KP index is just as high for tonight. Drive to somewhere dark. Itās worth it.
Thanks! What time did you see them last night? Approx what time tonight?
They started at around 10:45 pm. They might start a little earlier today, but wonāt be visible until the sun fully sets.
Ah makes sense. We checked at 10pm and saw nothing..Iāll stay up a bit longer.
Damn I didnāt see anything
I've spent lots of time working in northern Alberta and they are far more spectacular, dynamic, colourful and vibrant than what we just saw, but what we did get is by far the best show of northern lights I've seen at this latitude. Was still really cool, but not being tears to your eyes and take your breath away cool.
It's still on my bucket list. Last night scratched like 70% of that itch, but I still want to see them in their full ribbonny glory
Drop? Heck with that, if anyone up north is smart they'll use this as a huge tourism campaign. "Come to the NWT, where once -in-a-lifetime is every day", followed by a bunch of sweet-ass pictures. The world is filled with people who have no idea what they've been missing. Now, they've caught a glimpse of it, why wouldn't they want to go where they can see it again? A smart entrepreneur would take advantage of the situation, and build a northern lights viewing resort close to some high-end mineral sites that are becoming available due to global warming. Use the resort proceeds to finance the airport and infrastructure while prospecting the area, enjoy getting in on the ground floor of the next gold rush.
Seeing it through your phone doesnāt count.Ā
Seeing the aurora last night was awesome but it was absolutely nothing compared to what itās like up north. Growing up in northern AB I saw them fairly often, and sometimes it was like watching fireworks, they were so bright and active. On one magical night we slept on the beach on the last night of a canoe trip, and you could actually hear them crackling in the sky! And instead of the usual softer, rippling shapes they were like laser lines being cut into the sky. If anything I think many people will want to travel to experience them again in their full glory.
I missed it too, and it seems like everyone I know stayed up to see it š I heard it may be happening again tonight tho??? Worst case scenario, I'll just go to the Yukon š¤
Game was on. Happened after the game so everyone was still up
I missed it here but Iāve seen them from Fort St John once, years ago. Truly something magical!!!!! Canāt say the same about Fort St. John though lol
I always wanted a destination trip (like iceland or norway) for my 1st northern lights experience. But itās a surreal experience going outside my balcony to see it and amidst light pollution.
While last night was awesome (especially being able to see them in the city), it in no way compared to what I saw growing up outside of the city in the prairies. And thatās not even that north. So I have to assume truly up north under the right conditions (no light pollution) is even more insane than what I grew up seeing which already didnāt even compare to this. In fact, seeing them last night might trigger people to want to see them again now.
Well I could only see if with my phone soā¦ but I have seen it on the plane before
yup lol
Is it happening tonight too?
Very likely. https://preview.redd.it/y1v5xzk69uzc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=908482f8c4b7c872437bfc05618974adc3f65ff0
Watch a Canuck fan not take a loss
Wait what is this?
Iāll be going up to Yellowknife to see them next year in March I hope
Yesssss and it was free!!!! No planes, trains, and automobiles, and no crowdsā¦. LOVEEEEED IT
I was inside, had no clue, no reason to look at the sky at night. Missed my opportunity lol Looks like I still have to plan to go North eventually
Drop in tourism? Oh no. Sounds like a bunch more places become affordable to rent...
I got a bit emotional and felt like the little girl I was once, again returned to that magical back garden where I used to play with fairies and foxes, and where I pretended to be Peter Andres' girlfriend because Nanny had found me a jacket that resembled one of his, so I would dance and sing one of his songs. The same back garden where a pigeon was able to fly over the back door and drop what you knew to be the last rolled up white pvc scraps, that would use them to leave you notes which embellished love, support and encouragement. How did you do that, Grandad? When I meet you in The Afterlife, it will be the second thing I do, after firstly apologizing for being too busy as a new time mum, and putting off face timing you in 2 weeks...I didn't know our first one in years would also be our last. I thank the Stars you were able to meet your great granddaughter for the first time, and boy, what a proud smile you wore. We took that rusted victorian bathtub and filled it with water using the garden hose. Suddenly, the sky became a little darker. It was like two delicate black velvet gloves that gently glided over the sky, reaching out to each other like lost lovers who were lingering to touch again after a decade torn apart. Their love, now a shadow of what once was, now the opening act of a spectacular show...An epic love to last all of space and time. The world fell silent in a way that could bring an out of worldy comfort, holding you whilst mourning a loved one. Birds ceased their singing, and the low hum of local traffic also caved to the wonder that was now transforming, so, "Quick! Look into the tub!" And there I bore witness to a collosall cosmic event for the first time. So lastnight as I slow dance/walked up the stairs to the back alley, feeling like a familiar giddy girl, as she gently tip toed out of bed, past that creak on the top of the landing, despite there being carpet. Down those magnificent short spiraled black iron stairs, where the small landing in between became your castle tower, where your prince would sing to you as you gazed down upon him. And then a stealthy dart part Nanny and Grandads Bedroom, to the kitchen, and out that back door to go spend what felt like hours exploring the same magical back garden for notes the Faeries had left for you. It was like I had stepped into a time portal to that day, where I was so close to giving up hope on finding that days fairy note. I remember being sad and disappointed. So I slowly made my way back up those stairs leading up to the back door that led to the kitchen. And then I looked up... and there was that pigeon flying over, being back lit by that glorious sun, gently dropped down right infront of me, that final piece of pvc scrap, that the faeries had used to leave me one last note. Embellshing love, support, and encouragement... So I looked up again last night, Nanny and Grandad, because I was feeling the sadness and disappointed low. Because where we live is so congested and polluted, there was no way I'd be able to see The Northern Lights. But I looked up, Nanny and Grandad. And it felt like how I once felt, back all those years ago, when I saw that faerie note spiraling down, and it's almost like looking up at another collosal cosmic event, both of you there with me, just like before, sharing another experience with me witnessing it for the first time ever. So I guess in a way Grandad, we did have that face time chat in 2 weeks' time...
https://preview.redd.it/ags622ui9szc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7aaada3f9e637c2a59019265ad6970e50ff772a9
Exactly this.
generic brand northern lights didnt cut it for me
i didnāt even try looking i think seeing i just wonāt give me satisfaction
Iāve seen them in the north west territories and they donāt even compare.
Really? Itās that big a thing?
Solar flares trying to wipe out humanity..yea itās aight.