Today's Image

Aurora photos, night of April 23-24, 2023

Man in coat and red knit cap looks up at pale green rays of aurora light in the sky.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Sun-watchers saw a full-halo event on April 21, 2023, suggesting a powerful blast from the sun (a coronal mass ejection or CME) directly aimed at Earth. It arrived late in the day on April 23, and its effects combined with solar wind from a coronal hole offered us a great night for auroras! EarthSky’s Kelly Kizer Whitt wrote: “Amazing aurora tonight. Flickering and rippling across the sky. We got lucky that the clouds cleared. This shot is of my husband looking at the aurora overhead. I lay on the driveway to get it!” Aurora photos from our community, and some tweets, here.

Aurora photos, night of April 24

Sun-watchers saw a full-halo event on April 21, 2023, suggesting a powerful blast from the sun (a coronal mass ejection or CME) directly aimed at Earth. It arrived late in the day on April 23, and its effects combined with solar wind from a coronal hole offered us a great night for auroras! Photos from our community, and some tweets, here.

Sun activity: Daily updates here

Panorama view of a bluish full sky with some clouds and green auroras.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Joel Weatherly in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, took this image of the aurora on April 24, 2023. Joel wrote: “Last night a gap in the clouds allowed me to enjoy some exciting auroral action filling the skies over my backyard. This solar cycle is shaping up to be quite exciting.” Indeed! Thank you, Joel.
White car and telephone pole in foreground with pink and green vertical streamers in the sky behind.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Dana Anghel in Eden, Utah, captured this image on April 24, 2023. Dana wrote: “When I saw that the northern lights were visible up north, I pretty much jumped in my car and started driving. Hope you guys enjoy my pictures. The northern lights were not visible with the unaided eye (at least not by 1:30 a.m. when I got there), but the results of the long exposure are pretty amazing!” Thank you, Dana!
Densely starry night sky with the Milky Way at left and green and pink glow near horizon.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Imaduddin Mohammed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, captured this image on April 24, 2023. Imaduddin wrote: “This is my 1st time photographing the Milky Way and also the Aurora Australis aka Southern Lights. Never before did I photograph either one of them. I always procrastinated going to some dark sky spots to do some astrophotography but this time when me and my friends went for a small getaway trip to a remote place for other reasons and all the things fell into the right place.” Wonderful story and stunning photo! Thank you, Imaduddin.

More aurora pics, night of April 23

Green curtains or pillars with the base wavering into a curving shape for aurora in a dark sky.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Sheryl R Garrison captured the aurora from Southern Alberta, Canada, on April 23, 2023. Sheryl wrote: “Like many other parts of the world, we had a fabulous showing of the northern lights last night. They positively glowed. I know I said this last month but … my best show ever!” Thank you, Sheryl!
Pink and green blobs of aurora light. 2 bright spots at the bottom right, one is bigger than the other.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Villiam Hansen in Bornholm, Denmark, took this image on April 23, 2023, and wrote: “This evening the northern lights danced right next to the clear moon and Venus. So I had to try to get it, and this was the result.” Stunning! Very well done. Thank you, Villiam.
Green and pink lights int he sky. There is a crow on a tree in the foreground.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Diane Rains in Hudson, Wisconsin, captured this image on April 23, 2023, and wrote: “I took this shot at the peak of Sunday night’s splendid aurora display. And I couldn’t help but wonder if, tucked away in their night roosts, my sensitive and truly artistic crows were watching with as much delight as I. I hope I may be forgiven for giving form to my musings!” With photos like this … We forgive you for everything! Thank you, Diane.
Green ligths near the horizon and a bright short meteor in the middle of the frame.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Kathie O’Donnell in Rapid City, South Dakota, took this stunning image on April 23, 2023, and wrote: “A little bit of everything, moon, Venus, aurora and maybe a left-over Lyrid. I can’t complain that we had clouds the night before at the peak of the Lyrids. The light show we got from the aurora was phenomenal.” Thank you, Kathie!
View from a high cliff. There are green and pink lights as the background.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Kayden Foley was able to capture the aurora as far south as Devon, England. Thank you, Kayden!
A bright circle (the moon) and smaller circle (Venus) plus parallel green streamers above.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Denys Leclerc in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, captured this image of the aurora on April 23, 2023. Denys wrote: “Overcast skies all day, then a half hour break after sunset, and magic! Aurora, zodiacal light, crescent moon, Venus!” Thank you, Denys!
Red and purple vertical streamers behind the distant glow of a city.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Paul Schulz in Safford, Arizona, captured this image of the aurora on April 23, 2023. Paul wrote: “I heard about the possibility of aurora being visible pretty south in the country. So, I set up, and sure enough, there was some purple and pink glows. It was so exciting to be able to capture. It was not visible to the unaided eye.” Thank you, Paul!
Parallel, tall, glowing purple streaks above green glow at forested horizon.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Robert Raymod Gaudet in Pennfield, New Brunswick, Canada, captured this photo on April 23, 2023. Robert wrote: “I received an alert from space weather on my phone and from one of my astronomy colleagues that we were having an aurora, so I grabbed my equipment and started imaging. My frames ranged from ISO 800 to 6400 at f3.5 to f5 … from 3 seconds to 30 seconds exposure times.” Thank you, Robert!
Dark starry sky with green and pink lights glowing over a curved horizon.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Angela McClain in Buchanan, Virginia, took this image on April 23, 2023, and wrote: “25 second exposure, taken from my backyard in Botetourt County.” Thank you, Angela!

Bottom line: The night of April 23-24, 2023, featured a wonderful auroral display. Aurora photos from our community, and some tweets, here.

Posted 
April 25, 2023
 in 
Today's Image

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