There’s something incredibly peaceful about staring out an airplane window, watching clouds drift by and the landscape roll out below (provided you’re not scared of flying). But imagine glancing outside to find the sky alive with the swirling colors of the Northern Lights. That’s exactly what happened to Dr. Ryan French, a solar physicist, author, and research scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. On a flight from Denver to Chicago, he caught an incredible view of the Aurora Borealis lighting up the night sky.
The Northern Lights occur when charged particles from the sun collide with molecules in Earth’s atmosphere, creating a dazzling display of colorful light across the sky. According to French, the sun has been especially active lately. “Last night we had a strong geomagnetic storm,” he explained. “Tonight again we are expecting a strong geomagnetic storm.”
As a solar physicist, French knew that he’d be in for a rare treat before the plane took off. “This was definitely a window seat kind of night,” he said in an interview. “If you were in the aisle you’d have missed this.”
He recalled, “As soon as we took off over the clouds, I started taking pictures with my phone, waiting for the aurora rush.” French explained that phone cameras can actually pick up the aurora’s colors before our eyes can, which might be why the other passengers—most without a window seat—didn’t share his excitement. Still, for him, it was an unforgettable moment.
French shared his images of the Northern Lights on social media, revealing waves of emerald light sweeping across the horizon. Despite being on a moving plane with cabin light and dirty windows, he still managed to capture the spectacular display. French wrote in the caption, “Aurora photography is challenging through the window of a moving lit-up plane.”
Check out French’s stunning photos below.
On a flight from Denver to Chicago, solar physicist Dr. Ryan French captured an incredible view of the Aurora Borealis lighting up the night sky.
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Source: I spotted the northern lights on my flight from Denver to Chicago last night!, Traveler Captures The Northern Lights On A Flight To Chicago
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