The glow of the northern lights appear over Kamloops.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Peter Olsen Photography
July 20, 2022 - 5:30 PM
Sky gazers and photographers from Kamloops and the Okanagan are in for a treat this week with elevated aurora activity and nice weather in the forecasts.
AuroraForecast.com is predicting activity levels to reach 8 out of 10 on July 21 and 22.
“Active aurora possible with good chance of isolated minor auroral substorms and favourable conditions for major aurora activity,” reads the forecast for both days.
On July 10, a US satellite observed a coronal mass ejection from the sun.
When the opportunity arises, Kamloops photographer Peter Olsen feels conflicted between capturing the phenomenon near the city or far away from light pollution.
The aurora shines brightest when there is no city light or moonlight to obscure it, and the only way to avoid man-made light pollution is to travel away from urban areas.
“There is an immense amount of light coming from the city core that will ruin your shot or make it less dynamic than it should be,” Olsen said.
(DAN WALTON / iNFOnews.ca)
But despite the challenges that come with capturing the northern lights near populated centres, Olsen has learned customers prefer photos that capture them in a familiar setting.
“In the backcountry, you may get a good northern lights shot, but there won’t be any distinguishing features that says to the viewer, ‘hey that’s Kamloops,’” he said.
“In the back of my mind I always have the thought of, ‘does this have commercial appeal?’”
Olsen sees Mount Peter and Mount Paul as two of the city’s most distinguishing natural landmarks. For anyone interested in finding a good vantage point from the Kamloops area, he recommends driving up Rose Hill Road for a good view.
The northern lights have already made an appearance in the South Okanagan this week, as evidenced by photographer Greg Reely from Osoyoos, who took the photo below earlier this morning, July 20.
The northern lights as seen from Osoyoos during the early hours of July 20, 2022.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Greg Reely Photography
If the northern lights do fulfil the forecast and make a strong appearance tonight, they aren’t likely to be hampered by the weather, as forecasts are calling only for minor amounts of precipitation in Kamloops, Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton.
However there will be some moonlight to diffuse the Aurora. The waning moon just entered the third quarter of its cycle earlier this morning, July 20, and 46% of it was illuminated from the Earth’s perspective at the time of publication.
Later in the night when it becomes dark enough to see the lights, check activity levels by visiting AuroraForecast.com.
As of July 19, there were a couple of large coronal holes on the solar disk capable of producing high-speed solar wind that may keep the aurora action coming.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/earthsky.org
If you get pictures, we'd love to see them and share them. Send to us at news@infonews.ca.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Dan Walton or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2022