For a second time this year, the northern lights have returned to mesmerize Augusta and beyond.
The out-of-this-world spectacle, also known as aurora borealis, reached the CSRA Thursday night. Space weather forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center have said that the lights, which were visible as far south as Florida, was due to a “severe” geomagnetic storm taking place from Thursday, Oct 10 to Friday, Oct 11.
This is the phenomenon’s second display in the CSRA after its unexpected appearance in early May.
Eyewitness accounts
Brittany Sterling, an Augusta local, called seeing the lights “an absolutely surreal experience.”
“The sky lit up with vibrant colors, and capturing such a rare event was a dream come true for me as a photographer,” she said, noting that she’s planning to travel to Iceland to see the lights in close proximity in the future.
”As incredible as it was, it only fueled my desire to see the northern lights up close in person.”
April Danko from North Augusta said she missed the lights in May and was glad to see it on Thursday night. She echoed Sterling’s sentiments about it being a dream come true to see them.
“I was so excited to be able to actually witness them,” she added.
Danko said that she was struck by shades of blue, fuschia and lavender that were present in the sky.
Her husband, Lance Danko, said that the lights were visible through their phone’s camera lens.
“It took a bit of manipulation with the camera on the phone, but once we got the settings right, it was beautiful with the deep purples and pinks. It was really exciting to see,” he said.
