Millions of Americans Saw the Northern Lights . . . Through Their Phone
Millions of Americans got to see the Northern Lights this weekend, at least kind of. Some saw them the same way your 13-year-old watched Taylor Swift in concert . . . mostly through their phone.
The aurora extended way farther south than usual thanks to a huge solar storm. That's where charged particles from the sun light up as they hit Earth's magnetic field. It was the strongest since 2003.
Even people in Florida were posting photos this weekend. But some of those shots might be more impressive than what they actually saw in person.
It turns out phone cameras are so good now, they pick up the Northern Lights a LOT better than our eyes. Especially on Night Mode, meant for low lighting.
Some might argue that's not a whole lot better than watching a video of them on YouTube. But most people online seem to agree it still counts, so you get to cross it off your bucket list.
If you're just hearing about all this, you're not alone. A ton of people in spots like Arizona and Texas complained that they had no idea they could have seen them. And if they'd known, they might have stepped outside. (Salon / USA Today)
(Here's a round-up of photos.)
Originally posted on May 13th, 2024