“I never remember this many Northern Lights events before…” has been one of the most common expressions I’ve heard as of late. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, solar cycles last roughly 11 years and we have been at the peak of the current cycle (Cycle 25) for the last year or so. This means more sunspots, more Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), and more chances for Northern Lights.
Then there is time and technology. Social media certainly has flaws, but for locating and reporting Aurora, it is exceptional. I get messages and comments within seconds of a substorm starting, and we have capability of “Going Live” at a moments notice. Gone are the days of waiting for the 11PM news cycle – the info is in the palm of your hand at all times and comes via push notification.
Drone Capture Over Danbury, CT
Cameras are another game changer – especially with night mode features that do a great job capturing the lights. You have probably noticed the difference between the way the camera sees it and the way the naked eye does. What would have taken a specialized camera to capture 20 years ago can now be seen by the masses.
The previous solar maximum was back in 2014-2015 and that one was kind of a dud in terms of Aurora, so you have to go all the way back to 2002-2004 for a solar cycle that produced plentiful Geomagnetic storming. Think about how different life was during the major G5 storming in 2003… no social media and no smartphones. You would literally have to be looking north in the right place at the right time to catch anything, and most people wouldn’t have the right camera to capture it for sharing.
We have likely already reached the true solar maximum for this cycle, and are on the decline again. While it seems like we are having these events frequently, naked eye Northern Lights in CT are still exceptionally rare. Who knows how many more big events we will have in this cycle. Enjoy it while it’s here!
Northern Lights Tuesday Night over New Fairfield, CT – Jamie Marie
