Spectacular Summer Aurora

July 31, 10:30 pm - Aug 1, 12:30 am Lantzville, BC

For days, my phone had been alerting me to the possibility of seeing the aurora borealis. Overcast skies had dashed any hope of seeing them. But tonight, the weather finally cooperated, and the solar conditions remained favorable for one more night. Watch the video here on YouTube.

My beach buddies and I set up on the beach in Lantzville at dusk. I’d invited my teenage daughter, who brought along her bestie. Clear skies, no moon, and 20°C temperatures meant we would enjoy the starry skies even if the aurora didn't appear.

Using the astrophotography setting on my phone once it was dark enough, I patiently waited four minutes to see if the northern lights were dancing. The phone camera collects data to create an image and a one-second time lapse after four minutes. It allows me to see the aurora more vividly while also testing my patience.

By 10:30 pm, the show had begun! We laughed with delight as we watched the lights dancing on our phone screens. It was the first time my daughter and her friend had seen them in person, not realizing they are difficult to see with the naked eye. They were strong enough that we saw white streaks and huge pillars above the horizon, which appeared pink and red when photographed.

At the same time, the Perseids meteor shower was occurring, and the girls were thrilled to see many shooting stars. Our evening wouldn't be complete without an ocean dip under the aurora. We shuffled into the water, carefully avoiding large rocks, to where it was deep enough to kick our feet and wave our hands around to disturb the bioluminescence. Another thrilling act to what was already an incredible experience.

Feeling chilled, we tried to tear ourselves away from the dancing lights but ended up staying for another thirty minutes or so. After midnight, the light pollution from Vancouver had dimmed substantially, and the horizon was filled with flickering green lights. Picket fence light streaks appeared high above, visible to the naked eye. It’s possible these were the phenomenon known as STEVE.

We finally left as the clock neared 1 am. I fell into bed, skipping my gratitude journal for the first time in ages, as my heart and soul resonated with gratitude. Creating a spectacular core memory with my daughter and our dear friends was a wonderful way to end the month of July.

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