Acton night owls are enjoying a rare view of the aurora borealis, or northern lights, this weekend thanks to a geomagnetic storm resulting from an unusually large sunspot . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) wrote on their website, “For many people, the aurora is a beautiful nighttime phenomenon that is worth traveling to arctic regions just to observe. It is the only way for most people to actually experience space weather.”
As the Acton Exchange did with the recent solar eclipse, we invite readers to send their photos and stories of this weekend’s space phenomenon. Perhaps you saw an amazing view. Perhaps you wished you had. Fear of missing out (FOMO) will surely play a big role in Actonians’ experience of the aurora borealis this weekend, because peculiarities of night settings on cell phone cameras are making it look like your neighbors had a much better view than they actually did. Bill Freeman, an Acton professor who studies computer vision, said, “The night mode of some cameras enhances subtle colors and brightens changes and makes the aurora borealis become more visible than it is to the naked eye.” Space storm chasers and envious neighbors, send us your reports!