Arctic Phenomenon Takes Summer Vacation

The Aurora Borealis, the dancing, shimmering, ghostly light show far up in Earth's atmosphere caused by the collision of energetic charged particles from the solar wind, is usual for arctic regions and dark winter months across the northern United States. It is not usual for it to occur in the mid-latitudes of the USA in July. Our sun is nearing its 11-year cycle solar maximum, which at times allows rare glimpses of The Northern Lights farther south. In addition to Iowa, other states reporting recent activity were: Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Utah, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Arkansas and Michigan. The three images above were shot from just north of Echo Hill Presbyterian Church near Marion, Iowa. Tops of the streamers reached as high as 36 degrees above the horizon. A geomagnetic storm arrived around 9:00 AM CDT on July 14 but did not appear at this location until the predawn hours of July 15. These images were taken from 4:28-4:33AM, were exposed from 6-20 seconds using an ISO of 1000-1250 at f/4.5. The ever-increasing light of dawn finally washed out and ended the show.