Who Saw Northern Lights in Eastern WA? Send Us Your Pics!
The Northern Lights, officially known as Aurora Borealis, is a beautiful phenomenon, if you can see it.
Who saw Northern Lights in Eastern WA?
The light show occurs when gas molecules from Earth collide with solar winds that bring particles from the sun. It's like a prism of sorts. They're pulled toward the North Pole by Earth's magnetism, and the collision creates the colors.
It happens virtually year-round, but the best, and sometimes only time to see it is from late September through March. They're only visible in a band of northern states from WA OR, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and across to the East Coast. Some of the 'surges' of particles and solar material are bigger than others, creating more colors and making it more visible.
This week was considered a prime opportunity, Tuesday, November 11th. Not everyone was able to view the spectacle, clouds, and even light pollution from cities make the colors harder to see. But in higher elevations with less light, they can be spectacular.
The Kittitas County Sheriff's Department's Tactical Response Team was doing outdoor training near Ellensburg around 5:30 PM and captured this image of the show.
Did you see them? If you did, send us some pics via our Mobile App and we will share them!
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