DENVER — The aurora borealis? In this part of the country? Yes!
The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, are certainly a rare sight in Colorado, but many in the northern part of the state were treated to an amazing show Sunday night.
"It's always been a dream of mine," said Dakota McGee, who lives in Iliff, Colorado. "It's been a bucket list-type thing. And to actually capture and see them is really amazing for me."
McGee was not alone. Many in the area were awed by the light show that may be visible for a second night Monday.
As Denver7’s Mike Nelson explains, the aurora borealis is formed when high-energy sun particles slam into the earth’s magnetic field.
“There was a solar flare, a giant eruption of energy on the sun,” Mike Nelson explains. “Those particles traveled toward the earth. They're drawn toward the magnetic poles. And when that happens, we get the aurora forming mostly across areas of Canada.”
Monday night’s show may even be bigger! Mike explains two coronal mass ejections from the sun over the weekend are scheduled to hit Earth’s magnetic field. But there is a chance that it may not be clear enough in Colorado to view.
Learn more in the video below:
