If you ever experienced the Northern Lights then you understand how incredible they are.
On March 23, 2023 I was able to experience them for the first time. I cried, I had so many emotions just watching them dance over our heads while laying in the middle of the road at 11pm. Words can not explain how incredible they are.
There are a lot of things that people are unaware of when the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) come around. This happens heavily in the spring and fall. The cause of the Aurora Borealis is by activity on the surface of the sun. Solar Storms on our star's surface gives out huge clouds of electrically charged particles.
Solar storms also cause some issues by disrupting satellites, your internet, and phone service. I learned this from one of the locals while having a cold beer with him. (RIP Bigfoot) These disruptions happen heavily in the Spring and Fall. Occasionally you can have issues in the Summer & Winter, just not as often.
It is very hard to catch the lights. They can happen anytime when it is dark. They can last for a few seconds, Minutes, or even hours to all night. I have an app I downloaded on my phone that will predict when we will be able to see the lights. This is based on a KP Index. What is a KP Index? the KP Index gauges disturbances in the horizontal element of earth's magnetic fields with an integer range of 0-9. With 1 being the most calm and 5 or more indicating a geomagnetic storm. It comes from the maximum fluctuations of horizontal elements detected on a magnetometer during a 3 hour interval.
If the KP Index is showing 5 or above, I suggest you pack up your bags and head North! But remember they can happen at anytime of the night, so it is best if you bring loads of coffee with you.
One of the things that is listed as a cause from a Solar Storm is Mental Health. If you search you will find there is very little information on this and it isn't scientifically proven to cause issues.. But just because it says that on the internet doesn't mean it's right.
The night of one of the strongest Solar Storms this year, caused many emotions. Something seemed off, I was anxious, everyone around me was acting off as well. Something just did not seem right. Certain forms of the Northern Lights with a frequency that is close to the basic flow of the human brain. Which can cause a temporary impairment. These are typically linked to the bright flashes of Scarlet, which was seen the night of March 23rd. This type of display is susceptible to mental illness.
That does not mean you should steer clear of seeing the lights. You have to at least experience them once in your life.
"There they are, in all their glory, dancing furiously across the sky, it is hard to believe that something so beautiful can actually be real" - Inga, the Northern Lights Tour Guide.
