Here's what's behind the latest Northern lights display
CBC
The Prairies Climate Change Project is a joint initiative between CBC Edmonton and CBC Saskatchewan that focuses on weather and our changing climate. Meteorologist Christy Climenhaga brings her expert voice to the conversation to help explain weather phenomena and climate change and how they impact everyday life.
The Northern lights lit up the sky across North America on Thursday, with sightings reported as far south as New Mexico.
It was yet another spectacular aurora display, in what has been a busy spring so far.
"It was just absolutely insane," said Matt Melnyk, who has been photographing auroras for more than 15 years in southern Alberta.
He caught the most recent show.
"Different colours bursting with pillars and I got to see pinks, purples, reds, greens everything. It was pretty remarkable."
Aurora forecasters say the most recent show was unexpected and stronger than most we've seen recently. Melnyk said it was a rare sight, especially for those further south.
Auroras are measured on a KP level index between one and nine. Thursday night hit level eight, which is extremely rare, Melnyk said.
Cathleen Mewis was also able to catch the show on Thursday night.
She photographs auroras near Saskatoon and is a part of the Saskatchewan Aurora Hunters Facebook page.
"I hummed and hawed, should I go out?" she said.
"I got in my car and I drove out and I had a spot in mind to go to a church and I didn't even make it there because the sky just exploded," she said.
Mewis said she was out early for aurora hunting on Thursday and was able to catch the lights at around 8:45 p.m. She said it was one of the best she's seen yet.
"It was barely sunset and it was just crazy … reds and blues and it was just amazing," she said.
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