Mainers from around the state came outside Thursday night to watch the horizon dance in shades of magenta, emerald and azure, as the aurora borealis made a spectacular appearance across northern skies.
A powerful solar storm earlier in the week brought the aurora to skies throughout North America, offering great views of the northern lights Thursday night. The sun is nearing the peak of the solar cycle, which means frequent solar flares and ejections of particles from the sun.
This week’s aurora comes less than five months after another northern lights appearance dazzled Mainers in May of this year. The aurora is typically a rare occurrence outside of far northern latitudes.
There may be more aurora activity in Maine on Friday night, though it may be more muted in comparison to Thursday’s show.
Mainers from all over the state sent us their photos of the lights on Thursday. Do you have your own photos to share? Email them to [email protected], and we may add them to this gallery.
Photo credits: Top row, left to right: Hannah Young, taken at Thomas Hill Standpipe in Bangor; Cara Pelletier, taken at Copeland Hill in Holden; Eastport Chamber of Commerce, taken in Eastport. Middle row, left to right: Sawyer Loftus, taken in Bangor; Joey Lawson, taken in Carmel; Matt Junker, taken in Old Town; bottom row, Harold Grove, taken in Frankfort. In the center of the last photo you can faintly make out a meteor streaking across the sky.
