Aurora Borealis. Northern Lights. Whatever you call it, it has captured our attention in the South during the past two years. Typically, seeing the lights requires traveling to higher latitudes, even as far as the Arctic Circle.
So why have we been so fortunate to see them here? How long will this last? How can we see them? Are we going to always get to see them now? Is this because of global warming? When you love astronomy, and your friends, acquaintances and patients know it, you’ll hear these questions as they show you beautiful pictures they have taken from darker skies outside the city. This is often piggybacked with, “Did you see this?” and “Where did you go to see this?”
Why have we had such colorful excitement in the sky lately? Well, first, we need to thank the Sun, despite its game of hide-and-seek behind winter clouds.
Our Sun, much like our human lives, cycles through phases of more and less activity. In astronomy, this 11-year cycle is split between solar maximum and solar minimum. During solar maximum, our daily spotlight of warmth becomes our solar neighborhood’s busybody, increasing its magnetism, and then ejecting part of its magnetic field and plasma into space. When most active, these push an electromagnetic tidal wave toward Earth, carried by solar wind, which then reacts with the ions in Earth’s atmosphere as this wave is magnetically pulled to the North and South Poles.
This ionic dance creates the Aurora’s brilliant colors, and the strength of that initial flare from the sun determines how intense the dance is—therefore how far south it can be seen, the colors it produces, and how long it may last.
Our Sun’s cycles have been observed and documented since the mid-1700s. That history is used—as history should be—to guide and inform us of our current and future times. We are currently in solar cycle 25. While some cycles are stronger than others, our current cycle has, surprisingly, been one for books, even though it was originally predicted to be a weak cycle. Its stronger activity this cycle is responsible for coloring our skies locally. This cycle is predicted to end in 2030. While cycle 25’s solar maximum peak was centered between August to November 2024, we may still have four more years to occasionally enjoy its fanfare. So get out and enjoy nature above and below while you can.
Why do we need darker places to experience our sky’s delights? That answer will be in a future column. In the meantime, did you know that Caprock Canyon State Park was recently awarded its DarkSky Place Certification? This is a big deal in astronomy circles, and the Panhandle is fortunate to have a nearby site dedicated to reducing light pollution and preserving our views of the enchanting Milky Way.
Ever ready for the hunt, Orion is easy to spot, holds his own delights, and guides stargazers to other winter constellations.
First, find the three, distinct stars lined up to create his belt. Above and below the belt is a misshapen rectangle, representing his upper and lower body. As bright blue giants and supergiants, all but one star of Orion is visibly blue when viewed in darker skies, with the exception being the red giant Betelgeuse. (Don’t worry: It’s safe to say this name three times.)
Orion keeps his sword handy, represented by a string of stars hanging from the left side of his belt. The Orion Nebula, appearing as a smudge spot, rests in his blade. This smudge is faintly visible in city lights and, of course, is more apparent in darker skies (where I suggest also viewing the nebula through binoculars or a telescope for an even more breathtaking view of this stellar nursery).
Orion also hosts the annual Orionids meteor shower in October and November, provided courtesy of debris from Halley’s Comet.
Following an imaginary line up and to the right from his belt lands you in Taurus. Follow an imaginary line up and to the left from the left shoulder, and you’re in Gemini. If you follow an imaginary line down and to the left of his belt, you will be in Canis Major, and if you follow a line extending to the left from his shoulder stars, you will find Canis Minor. Mighty polite of him to acknowledge his canine hunting crew. These are just a few of the winter constellations Orion guides stargazers to view as we star hop across the night sky.
The cooler weather offers us a great time to check out nearby dark skies. Alibates Flint Quarry offers some fantastic walking trails during daylight hours, with dark skies rife for spotting Orion and his friends after a picnic dinner. Grab your blankets, some hot chocolate, and enjoy spotting all Orion has to offer!
