An intense northern lights spectacle overnight, together with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, created an overwhelming celestial spectacle that lasted for hours.
This rare combination delighted skywatchers in Michigan and other northern states. The first reports of faint auroras came in after 11 p.m. Sunday, and then things really took off: Green and purple lights and then dazzling orange and pink hues colored the sky as the colors intensified.
At that time, a geomagnetic storm of magnitude 3 was in effect – one level stronger than expected based on recent solar activity reaching Earth.
This sparked the wonderful nighttime display that kept people awake well past their bedtime. And the beautiful colors were visible from everywhere last night. People living near Mackinac Island and Torch Lake captured beautiful shots. Workers on cargo ships on the Great Lakes snapped their own beauty shots. And the lights were visible as far south as the state, from Grand Rapids to Lansing and southeast Michigan.
“This was a more intense display,” said meteorologists from the National Weather Service in Gaylord. “Normally, the Northern Lights are visible to the naked eye as an eerie whitish glow; this time we were able to see something pink/red with the naked eye!”
Early on, people reported seeing Perseid meteors streaking across the sky. The Perseids peaked overnight, with more than 70 meteors per hour possible.
If you missed the spectacle, the meteor shower will still be visible in the night sky until the end of August.
