Filaments From Heaven

An intense geomagnetic storm produced this scene around 7:30 PM on November 5, 2001 as the resulting aurora borealis display got going. The surreal sky from the northern lights appeared as though tendrils of light from heaven were drifting downward upon the ground from all directions. The geomagnetic storm lit up skies in the United States as far south as California, Texas and Florida. This view looks northwest from Inwood Court NE in the Northbrook II housing development in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The bright star at center is Vega, part of the constellation Lyra.