Time-lapse shows Northern Lights from NH mountain

U.S. Skywatchers Witness Rare Aurora Borealis

The skies above the U.S. shine once more with aurora borealis, or #NorthernLights. The Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire captured a stunning timelapse of the phenomenon, revealing greenish-blue hues blanketing the state in the early hours of Monday.

"Time-lapse of the aurora as seen from the summit earlier this morning... The lights on the right side correspond to Berlin, N.H. and the left side to Lancaster, N.H. The center of the video is due north." — Mount Washington Observatory

The colorful display wasn't limited to New Hampshire; Ithaca, New York, witnessed a unique pinkish-orange palette. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) attributed the lights to coronal mass ejections—clouds of plasma and charged particles—that interacted with Earth's atmosphere, creating a geomagnetic storm visible across multiple states.

NOAA predicted the storm, foretelling that it would coincide with the Perseid meteor shower, a celestial double feature. The forecast model suggests the auroras may grace multiple states again on Monday night.

Unraveling the Mystery of Aurorae

Aurora borealis, or the northern lights, are luminous glows observed near Earth's magnetic poles. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute explains how the collision of charged particles from the sun with gases in our atmosphere creates the ethereal light show. These particles are drawn to the North and South poles due to Earth's magnetic field, bypassing its protection against solar winds. The Canadian Space Agency concurs, detailing the mesmerizing interplay of particles and gases in the magnetosphere.

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