Nature's Fireworks

Jun 24, 2015

The Northern lights, or aurora borealis, have been casting an amazing glow across the northern part of the continent this week. It's not common to see them in South Dakota, but last weekend's geomagnetic storm on the sun's surface was one of the strongest since September of 2005. The aurora is caused when those charged particles from the sun interact with gaseous particles in the Earth's atmosphere, producing a rainbow of colors.

Christian Begeman took these photos late Monday night and early Tuesday morning. Another solar storm is forecast for tonight (Wednesday), so there's a good chance to see the lights again. The best viewing time is between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., when skies are clear and dark. Look to the north and hope.

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Begeman stands on a dock at Island Lake on the McCook/Minnehaha county line at 11 p.m. Monday night. "It is not typical at all to see the Northern lights with that much competing light, the waxing moon and remaining glow from sunset," Begeman says.
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Taken at Ingalls Homestead outside of De Smet, between 12:30 and 1:15 a.m, Tuesday morning.
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Taken at Ingalls Homestead outside of De Smet, between 12:30 and 1:15 a.m, Tuesday morning.
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Taken at Ingalls Homestead outside of De Smet, between 12:30 and 1:15 a.m, Tuesday morning.
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Taken at Ingalls Homestead outside of De Smet, between 12:30 and 1:15 a.m, Tuesday morning.
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Taken at Ingalls Homestead outside of De Smet, between 12:30 and 1:15 a.m, Tuesday morning.
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Taken on Highway 14 between Lake Preston and De Smet, shortly after midnight, early Tuesday morning.
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Taken on Highway 14 between Lake Preston and De Smet, shortly after midnight, early Tuesday morning.