PHILADELPHIA – Stargazers in our area are getting a rare chance to witness the Northern Lights this week.
Capturing the northern lights
What we know:
Storm Chaser Ed Sweeney from Clifton Heights was charging his camera batteries to capture the vibrant colors of the Northern Lights.Â
“It’s something to behold. And you see it and you see greens, you see reds, you see pinks all sorts of different colors and all the sudden it’s just there,” said Sweeney. He drove to Landenberg, Chester County for the second night in a row to try to capture the sky.
Tuesday night, amateur astrophotographers were busy capturing and sharing images of the Northern Lights from Delco to the Jersey Shore and up to the Lehigh Valley.Â
The phenomenon is part of an active solar cycle, explained Derrick Pitts from the Franklin Institute.
The science behind the lights
“That incredible solar flare then caused a very, very strong geomagnetic storm, as it’s called, as those waves of electromagnetic particles flowed over the earth,” said Pitts. The solar storm is so strong that it has extended the visible range of the aurora further south than usual.
Pitts noted that the aurora borealis is in a highly active stage of an 11-year solar cycle. “It gives you this emotion of awe and wonder and delight at something that’s happening in the sky,” he said.
Viewing tips
What you can do:
For the best view, Sweeney recommends finding a dark area with minimal light pollution and a clear view to the north. “Ideally you want a dark area without a lot of light pollution, and an area where you can see to the north,” said Sweeney.
Sweeney is hoping for clear skies to capture more of the Northern Lights Wednesday night.Â
NOAA suggests the best viewing time is between now and 2:00 a.m.
What we don’t know:
 It’s unclear how many more nights the Northern Lights will be visible in the area this week.