Thousands of people across the Okanagan and Similkameen on May 10 were treated to a celestial spectacle, with some of the strongest Aurora Borealis displays in years.
The Northern Lights were visible across B.C. and well into the United States, the result of a massive solar eruption that sent a storm of magnetic waves through Earth’s atmosphere.
It was the interaction of that geomagnetic storm and the Earth’s own magnetic field that generated the lights.
They were visible for hours on Friday night, May 10, and many people stayed up late to catch them.
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While the lights were strong enough to be visible to the naked eye, cameras were able to capture them in spectacular fashion thanks to their higher sensitivity.
Even with the bright lights of the city below, people in Penticton were able to see and photograph the Northern Lights.
Despite warnings from various agencies, no power systems or communication networks appear to have been impacted by the passing storm.