A geomagnetic storm has lit the night skies with aurora. Two nights ago, a spectacular tall curtain of light hung to the south of camp, with parallel bands running across the sky. In person, one could just discern some coloration in the bands--a bright green stripe, then a faint, reddish glow that faded upwards, then a pale, almost whitish, upper arc. A photograph revealed the vivid colors that were present in the sky, but just at the edge of human vision.
Last night, the aurora appeared in force. We first spotted them against the twilight sky to the northwest--an unusual direction, as auroral activity usually occurs to the south of Summit. They were right overhead, bending, pulsing and snapping above camp. Because shafts of light trace the Earth's magnetic field lines, when the activity was intense and above us, the rays all appeared to radiate from a point: the magnetic zenith. We watched from the decks of the Big House, soaking in the spectacle until the cold began to penetrate, then stepping through the door to warm back up, and repeating the cycle. It was pretty deluxe, as Jason said, being able to 'pop in for candy and couches.'
