Many people were aware of the massive solar flares that occurred during the second week of November, and a series of coronal mass ejections of charged particles were predicted to impact Earth’s atmosphere. These could produce displays of the aurora borealis that could possibly reach down to mid and lower northern latitudes, including St. Louis. At first I could see just a dim glow from my heavily light polluted home about 20 miles east of St. Louis, and this prompted me to dash out after dinner to a slightly darker location with an open view to the north. Although perhaps not quite the equal of the sensational display of May 10, 2024, there were still some amazing sights. The interaction of the charged particles with the oxygen in the lower part of Earth’s atmosphere produced the green color of the aurora, while the atoms in the upper part of the air produced the reds. I also included one photo taken with just my own cell phone camera- try that yourself the next time you hear about a display. Set your camera to the night shot setting and prop it up on something so it will hold steady. Camera exposures collect while the shutter is open, bringing the aurora into much better view than just the naked eye can do. To my eye, the aurora looked gray near the horizon and pink to a pale red higher up in the sky- much less vibrant than my pictures show.
This image was taken with an ordinary cell phone camera, with a “night shot” setting. (All photos- NPS/RF)
A bonus edition of our Gateway to the Stars program will be held on Friday evening, November 28. Meet in the Education Classroom inside the Gateway Arch Visitor Center for the traditional “Ghosts of the Arch Grounds” ranger led twilight talk. Learn about the various “incarnations of the Arch Grounds” as they evolved from a French colonial village to a thriving riverfront district to the present National Park site. The trials and tribulations of historical figures like Thomas Targee, James Eads, Percy Green and others will be highlighted, along with tragic events like the Great St. Louis Fire. Weather permitting, telescope viewing will be held on the Arch Entrance Plaza from 5:30-7:30 will be available. Call 314-655-1704 if you have any questions, or to check on the status of the telescope viewing.