Stargazers in Ontario acquired fairly the present because the northern lights illuminated the skies in a single day Sunday.
The celestial sightings befell after the U.S. Nationwide Climate Service’s House Climate Prediction Middle issued a Geomagnetic Storm Warning for Sunday night time.
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It wasn’t the one time in latest weeks Ontarians have had the possibility to catch a glimpse of the northern lights. On Sept. 18, a geomagnetic photo voltaic storm introduced the phenomenon to the province.
In keeping with College of Waterloo professor Roan Haggar, sightings like Sunday’s might change into extra widespread within the coming years.
“The northern lights are affected by the quantity of exercise within the solar, and the solar’s exercise goes up and down over about an 11-year cycle. In about 2025 we must always attain the subsequent most,” Haggar advised CTV Information Kitchener final week.
Within the early hours of Monday morning, over Port Elgin, Ont. and Lake Huron, some viewers had been capable of seize notably vibrant pictures of the night time sky.
One observer on the shores of Lake Superior mentioned the sunshine present was most vibrant after 10 p.m.
One social media consumer even caught a video of the lights, sharing it to X, previously Twitter.
Sometimes, the aurora borealis can solely be seen in far-northern latitudes, however on Sunday, sightings had been reported in Ontario as far south as London, Ont.
STARGAZING TIPS
Astrophotographer Trevor Jones, of St. Catharines, Ont., says that, for best stargazing circumstances, you’ll must remove as a lot gentle as doable.
Jones has been photographing the night time sky for almost a decade and has captured hundreds of pictures of southern Ontario’s uncommon Aurora Borealis show.
“The largest factor you want is evident skies,” Jones mentioned.
“You will see rather more if you happen to’re capable of get away from the town lights and get someplace a bit darker,” he mentioned.
Jones additionally recommends giving your eyes a while to regulate to the darkness to finest view the night time sky and to identify celestial sights past the moon.
“If you happen to go straight exterior, your eyes aren’t going to be able to see something, so let your eyes adapt to the darkness for 25 minutes or so,” he mentioned.
Ontario’s federal dark-sky preserves embody Level Pelee Nationwide Park in Essex County, Fathom 5 Nationwide Marine Park, and Bruce Peninsula Nationwide Park close to Tobermory, Ont.
Some spots advisable for stargazing, however with out official dark-sky designation, embody Binbrook Conservation Space in Niagara, Ont., Torrance Barrens in Gravenhurst, Ont., and Lennox and Addington Darkish Sky Viewing Space in Napanee, Ont.
