The most beautiful shows on display in nature are the special feature known as the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. If you live south of the equator, it’s known as the Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights.
The first time I ever saw the Northern Lights, I didn’t know what it was. I never heard it discussed in science class, nor had I ever heard too much about it. I had heard the name Northern Lights before, but wasn’t sure what it would look like or what to expect.
At the time, I was attending school up at Northern Michigan University, in Marquette, Michigan, where you could watch the Borealis dance across the skies over Lake Superior. The sight was quite breathtaking, to say the least, although my first sight of them made me a bit frightened and looking for cover. All I knew was that it was the mid 1980s, the cold war was on, and we were near a prime target military base. To me, it looked like a nuclear explosion. Sounds a little foolish now….I was young.
Thankfully my eccentric astronomy professor was nearby and explained to me what it was. He took the next day of class to explain the Borealis, since those of us who live more southernly had never seen it before. I still stand in awe of the borealis.
I could only see a small flash of the Northern Lights near the northern horizon for the last couple of days, but that’s more than we normally see this far south. Still, it’s so beautiful, I’m in awe.
