It’s a rare phenomenon to see the aurora borealis as far south as Asheville. But it’s even more rare to see it appear twice in one month .
Late Sunday night, the sparkling sky was painted in shades of pink that could nearly be missed by the naked eye. The aurora borealis are more commonly seen in Iceland, Canada, and parts of Alaska. But a severe geomagnetic storm brought these ethereal views right to our backyard.
How does it work?
In layman’s terms
, charged particles from the sun’s atmosphere collide with gas from the earth’s atmosphere. This collision produces colorful flashes of light, with color changes caused by the types of gas particles colliding.
Did you catch a glimpse of the northern lights shining over Asheville? We’d love to see your photos. Share them with us here .