Snowy Hills Aurora in Wyoming

Snowy Hills Aurora in Wyoming

Astrophotographer Kevin Palmer: "Last night was an unexpected treat in northern Wyoming. The show really got going after 1am."

"It was supposed to hit the previous night. But the aurora runs on its own schedule. Only after the solar storm watch was cancelled, most skywatchers had written it off as a bust, did the northern lights show. The late arrival ended up being a good thing because this night was crystal clear in Wyoming. Temperatures below zero and a bitter breeze brought frosted eyelashes and numb fingers. But I've been waiting 3 months for a night like this one." 

"Geomagnetic storms are less frequent in the winter and often hidden behind clouds when they do happen. So when conditions are perfect I have to take advantage. Pillars appeared briefly at 11:00 and faded, then the real show started after 1am. This is a location I found while exploring the local backroads. After marking it on a map, I waited until the time was right to return and capture the northerly view. In recent months more sunspots have been appearing on the Sun. As we head towards the maximum of the 11-year solar cycle, views like this will only become more common."

Learn more about aurora: 

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/aurora-news-stories/index.html

Image Credit & Copyright: Kevin Palmer

Kevin's website: www.kevin-palmer.com

Location: Wyoming, United States

Image Date: February 2, 2022

#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #Earth #Planet #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #MagneticField #Magnetosphere #SolarWind #Sun #Wyoming #UnitedStates #Photography #Astrophotography #STEM #Education #KevinPalmer