BOZEMAN — Montanans were treated to a spectacular light show this week as the northern lights painted the sky in shades of green, pink and red.
Like many across the state, I was one of those people standing outside in pajamas and slippers, trying to catch a glimpse of the aurora from my porch. And judging by social media, I wasn’t alone — photos of the glowing skies filled feeds across Montana.
Meteorologist Matt Elwell says the stunning display was caused by what he calls “the perfect solar storm.”
See the stunning northern lights that lit up Montana skies! Learn why cameras capture aurora better than your eyes and get tips for viewing the next display.
“Really, it’s that interaction through the magnetic field with the sun’s energy that causes this,” Elwell explained.
The northern lights, or aurora borealis, occur when charged particles from the sun collide with Earth’s atmosphere. Elwell says the colors you see depend on which gases are reacting in the upper atmosphere — red auroras form higher up, while green and pink hues come from oxygen and nitrogen molecules.
At Montana State University, students were still buzzing about the rare sight.
“I did [see them],” one student said. “But honestly, everyone and their mother had it on their stories already.”
Others weren’t as lucky. “I looked out the window and didn’t see anything — and then I heard you need your phone to look at them?” another student said.
So why does a camera pick up colors the human eye can’t?
According to Dr. Joseph Shaw, professor and director of MSU’s Optical Technology Center, it comes down to eyeball biology.
“You have to hold the camera steady for several seconds — five seconds or so,” Shaw said. “What it’s doing is collecting light during that period. Your eyes can’t do that; your eyes collect light in about one-thirtieth of a second.”
Dr. Shaw says this geomagnetic storm was particularly strong — visible early in the evening and potentially stretching as far south as South America. He even captured his own aurora photos from Arizona.
In Bozeman, he recommends finding a dark spot with little light pollution and looking north for the best view.
Some MSU students say they’ll be doing exactly that. “Apparently they’re happening again tonight, so I’m definitely going to be looking out for that,” one student said.
Both Elwell and Shaw say if skies stay clear, it’s worth stepping outside.
