HARTFORD, Conn. — Weather is full of surprises, but most are not like this.
Late Friday night and early into Saturday morning, Connecticut residents could view the majestic Northern Lights, as a combination of solar flares and eruptions from the sun sparked geomagnetic storms that generated spectacular displays of aurora in the skies above Earth.
It was the first storm of this magnitude since 2005, and it isn’t over yet.
Citing the Space Weather Prediction Center, FOX61 Meteorologist Ryan Breton said early Saturday evening that the solar storm is still ongoing. Cloud cover could get in the way, but if the skies clear, the night will light up again.
“Basically, there is a scale that we use to measure these from zero to nine. Last night, it was a nine. Right now, it’s a seven, so there’s still a potential viewing in New England,” Breton said. “Tonight, we do have clouds, so anybody in Connecticut who wants to view it is really going to have to be lucky with a break in the clouds.”
On Saturday, FOX61 received dozens of emails including pictures of the colorful night skies. Breton stressed that this occurrence is extremely rare. He was impressed that people as far south as Florida were able to capture images of the Northern Lights using long exposure cameras.
Northern Lights seen in Connecticut sky
“This really is a once in a generation type of event,” Breton said.
Breton said the aurora, or the Northern Lights, isn’t a phenomenon that can be predicted more than several days in advance. He said that a lot of times, what looks like a strong solar flare doesn’t produce an aurora, especially in southern New England.
The fact that the universe aligned in a manner that made the Northern Lights visible throughout large parts of the country captivated Breton. He spoke to the reality that millions of people in different parts of the country witnessed the aurora at the same time.
“I think what made this unique and special was how widespread it was, especially in the United States. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen in the years I’ve been following weather and in the years I’ve been doing it professionally too,” Breton said.
On Friday night, Breton was driving when he became aware of just how visible the Northern Lights were. He pulled his car over, looked at a map on his phone, and found the darkest location in town. By the time he left that spot, 10 other cars had pulled over along the same stretch of road to catch the same glimpse of the skies.
“I didn’t expect that at all,” Breton said. “It seemed like last night, people on social media saw stuff going on and wanted to see it. If people couldn’t see it in their backyards, it looked like they went out to try to find a good view, which is really cool.”
Following the eclipse on April 8, Breton reflected on how Connecticut residents have been fortunate enough to view two extraordinary occurrences in the sky in a stretch of less than 35 days. He hopes they positively influence the next generation of weather and space enthusiasts.
“I think it’s great,” Breton said. “We all got to see a solar eclipse and then this in the span of a month and a couple days. In just five weeks, we’ve had two really exceptional astronomical events that I’m sure inspired some kids to at least pay more attention to what’s going on and study science too.”
When asked if the Northern Lights will still be visible late Sunday night and into early Monday morning, Breton didn’t say no. It all depends on the power of the aurora.
“There is still a chance (Sunday) night though because the sky will clear out. It’s more of a question of how strong the aurora is (Sunday) night. Does it come this far south? It’s certainly possible. We’ll just have to see how it develops over the next day or so,” Breton said.
To make the most of your opportunity to view the Northern Lights, Verizon said to make sure you have the latest smartphone for the best resolution pictures. Ones with optical telephoto zoom are preferable.
Using a tripod to stabilize your images is also recommended, as is turning off the flash, as nature’s lights are more than enough, according to Verizon. One should also opt for their smartphone’s primary camera, as super-wide lenses don’t often shoot with comparable resolutions.
Lengthening your camera’s exposure time to capture more dramatic images of the sky is also a good idea, Verizon said.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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