The skies are showing off

Quick sidenote: This is my 100th post, and I find it delightfully fitting that it’s a post about the skies showing off. A tremendous thank you to every one of you who has joined our adventures by reading along; your views and comments are deeply appreciated. ❤️

Y’all remember when intense solar storms allowed us to see the auroras all the way down in North Carolina {and so many other points across the globe}? This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came around again last Thursday night, and it was just as beautiful. My family in Florida was even able to see them! While the show was not as “flamboyant” as it was in May, I felt like the colors were more intense – they were easier to see with the naked eye, not having to rely on the phone camera as much. And the stars; I’ve mentioned the skies changing with the seasons, and this crisp {and cold!} air made for dazzling stars shining through the auroras.

As if that wasn’t enough to make my space-loving heart go pitter-pat, a few nights later: a comet appears! {Check out this NASA post about the comet, as well as an absolutely amazing picture of it taken from the Space Station}. We first saw it Sunday night, after almost missing it – the tail was such a whisp against the fading sunset.

After gambling that it might be easier to see once it was fully dark {we lost that bet}, we made plans for a sunset party last night. We bundled up {our nights are forecast to be cold this week} and watched the night fall. As the skies darkened, and the sunset embers smoldered on the horizon, we finally saw our first whisper of the comet. It got easier and easier to see, and we watched in wonder until it started to fade out again as the sky deepened. Full dark arrived, with the stars and a stunningly bright almost-full moon stealing the show. The comet should be visible all week, although I’ve read it will be getting fainter each night. Chances are good you’ll find me sneaking out to spy a glimpse as long as I can – after all, I won’t have this view 80,000 years from now.

Have you been able to see either of these events? I’m still amazed we got to see auroras again, and then to have the comet show up so soon after. It makes me very curious what other stunning displays are going to appear in the months to come.

10 comments

  1. Congratulations on your 100th post and very nice pics. I started seeing Northern Lights posts pop up on fb from people in my town, all saying. “Get outside right now and look up!” I grabbed my phone and raced outside, faced North, set my camera to night mode and started excitedly snapping away. Like last time, I ended up with pic after pitch black pic of the Northern sky, lol. Oh well…

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  2. Congratulations on your 100th post and on capturing such amazing pictures of the skies. The colours are breathtaking and it must be awesome to catch sight of a comet like that. I couldn’t really see the Northern Lights where I was, even with the night mode option on cameras. I think there’s too many lights around. It’s something I really want to see one day though. It always looks stunning.

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    • Thank you ❤ The comet is absolutely mind boggling to think about (an 18-million mile tail?!), and to think I can see if with my own eyes… Incredible. The aurora colors are so so amazing – and the way they vary too, like there were bits of green, and then this amazing purple and magenta. So incredible. I hope you're able to see them one day! Light pollution is definitely a hindrance for skywatching fun 😦

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      • Wow that really is mind boggling 😯 I don’t think you can even begin to imagine it. I saw something recently about something traveling at some ridiculous speed which was roughly the equalivalent of us getting to the moon in something ridiculous like 15 seconds. I can’t remember what it was though 🙈
        Thank you. It really sounds incredible. I don’t think it helps that I’m pretty far South too as the chances of sightings seem to be better up north. But hopefully one day 🤞

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