Photographing the aurora borealis in Oklahoma
On April 23rd, 2023, Earth was impacted by a strong G4 solar storm which brought the northern lights to Oklahoma and was visible to most of the United States! In general, the likelihood of seeing an aurora in Oklahoma is relatively low, as it is located at a lower latitude compared to the Arctic and Antarctic regions. So, many people were treated to a rare show this past Sunday.
Days before this event, a coronal mass ejection was slated to make contact with Earth. Space weather has always been an interest of mine and nothing brings forth more excitement than getting the opportunity to photograph the aurora. Once the data was finally released to the public, I was elated to see that there was a strong possibility to photograph the aurora in Oklahoma - something that I thought would not be likely to occur at lower latitudes. Previously, I have only been able to photograph the northern lights in my home province of Manitoba. So you can imagine my excitement as I quickly charged my batteries and gathered all of my gear. All hands on deck for this adventure. Target? Northern Oklahoma in a location with the least amount of light pollution.
Admittedly, I left late and scouting a location in the dark was proving to be much more difficult than I had anticipated. I was met with a growling coyote at my first location and we quickly vacated that idea. Stop number two brought some unexpected light pollution spilling in from south Coffeyville and some less than ideal foliage on the horizon line. With low expectations, and a lot of hope, the third location became an ideal viewing spot. As soon as I dailed in my settings, there she was, the lady aurora!
Earth was impacted by a CME which initiated a strong G4 solar storm. A G4 severe geomagnetic storm occurs as a result of a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun. This particular solar storm was classified as G4 on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Scales, which range from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). KP (0-9) is a system used to measure the intensity of geomagnetic storms and predict the likelihood of auroras being visible at certain latitudes. Generally, a KP index of 5 or higher indicates a moderate to strong geomagnetic storm, which increases the chances of seeing auroras at lower latitudes. Sunday the 23rd, the index reached the KP8 as I was out photographing near Wann, Oklahoma.
The aurora in Oklahoma was only visible on the northern horizon. In terms of movement, she did not dance much and was visible, at times, to the naked eye. There were beautiful reds and purples in the distance, as well as few pillars.
These images unexpectedly received a lot of traction on multiple social media platforms and I am incredibly appreciative of all of the love, shares, support, and messages received these last few days. I have tried my best to respond to everyone! Also, congratulations to all of the other photographers who were able to capture this as well.
Aurora phenomenon explanation:
The Northern Lights typically occur in the high-latitude regions of the Earth's atmosphere, predominantly in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. The Sun is constantly emitting a stream of charged particles, called the solar wind. When these particles reach the Earth's magnetic field, they are deflected around the planet, but some of them can penetrate the magnetic field and enter the Earth's atmosphere.
As charged particles enter the Earth's atmosphere, they collide with the gas molecules in the atmosphere, such as oxygen and nitrogen. These collisions excite the gas molecules, causing them to release photons of light. The colors of the aurora depend on the type of gas molecule that is excited and the altitude at which the collision occurs.
The most common color of the aurora is green, which is caused by the excitation of oxygen molecules at an altitude of about 60 miles (100 kilometers). Red auroras are less common and occur at higher altitudes, around 200 miles (320 kilometers), when the charged particles collide with oxygen atoms. Blue and purple auroras are caused by the excitation of nitrogen molecules at high altitudes.
The shape and movement of the aurora are influenced by the Earth's magnetic field. The charged particles are funneled along the magnetic field lines and into the polar regions, where they collide with the gas molecules and create the colorful light display.
Overall, the aurora borealis is a fascinating natural phenomenon that is caused by the interaction between the Sun's charged particles and the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere.
