Montana is no stranger to the Aurora Borealis, but the “last best place” may have been the best place to view the recent historic show.
They're more commonly known as the northern lights since typically the light is off to the north. But this solar storm was so intense, that the northern lights set up directly over Montana. Satellite images showed the brightest band of light directly over Montana and the northern tier of the continental United States.
With just the naked eye incredible colors were visible overhead and even to the southern horizon. But do you feel you missed out on some of the best and brightest colors after seeing some of the pictures?
The photographs of the aurora may not have been altered or adjusted, it's just that cameras do not have limitations that our eyes do. The northern lights appear brighter and more colorful through a camera lens because of the greater dynamic range of vision. With the naked eye, we usually see the northern lights in faint colors and shades of white and gray. human vision at night is limited and not as colorful. Cameras do not have these limitations. the human eye is not as sensitive to the wavelength of the northern lights as cameras are.
Adjusting the settings on your camera and using a long exposure allows more light into the lens than what our eyes can see. And if you are out and you think you see the northern lights, take a picture with your camera to confirm the presence of the Aurora.
It was one of the greatest light shows in our lifetime and it was made even better by now common technology.
