Aurora Borealis

The aurora borealis, also known as the “northern lights” in many parts of the world, is very rarely seen in my part of the United States in the charming town of Springfield, Missouri. However, there was an abnormally large CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) of our sun, resulting in earth being hit by particularly severe storms, extending the phenomenon’s visibility much farther south than it’s normally seen.

The chances of seeing anything here were next to nothing. Aurora forecasting apps were reporting a paltry 1 percent chance. However, a lot of people were sharing pictures taken on their phones with local weather forecasters here in Springfield. So, I decided to go outside. To my astonishment, it was visible to the naked eye very faintly. I used a tripod and exposed this at a mind blowing 30 seconds, and don’t even think about perfect focus when it’s pitch black outside. This is a site I never thought I’d see in my lifetime. Shoot photos, not each other!