Christine Whitten

I was with a PhotoPills group in Yoho National Park, Canada, February 2023, when news of a major solar storm approaching earth caught our attention. It was “snowmaggedon” outside our lodge, with one foot of fresh powder already fallen. But the weather apps said Abraham Lake, 3 hours north of us, would clear that night. So, of course, we all jumped into the vans. We arrived at 6pm. The sun was setting under a still cloudy sky, with snow flurries. And then the clouds parted like a giant curtain opening on the most mind boggling auroral display. The sky was on fire and shimmered and danced continuously, 360 degrees around us until the auroras finally faded from view with the dawn 12 hours later. It was so bright we could walk the frozen lake without flashlights. The colors and shapes shifted through the entire spectrum overnight. The auroras outshone the crescent moon until it set and then washed out the Milky Way as it rose. Who cared that the temperatures were between minus 30 and 40F and that our cameras froze solid to their tripods. Canon R5, Canon 15-30 F2.8 RF lens f2.8, ISO 6400, 4sec