Post last updated at 1:21 p.m. Saturday, May 11:
Although not much of the northern lights’ glory was visible to the naked eye Friday night, Lawrence residents quickly discovered that their phones could “see” more than they could.
Solar flares are causing a geomagnetic storm that should make it possible for Kansas City and other cities in the middle of the country to see the aurora borealis, which can usually only be glimpsed in northern latitudes. This article from Kansas News Service did a great job explaining what’s happening.
Michelle Bailey took these photos just north of McLouth, which is about 15 miles north of Lawrence.
“We could see the pink/purple tint to the sky with the naked eye,” Bailey said. “One on the advantages to being away from the city lights.”
Julia Redmond took some photos south of Trivedi Wine, near East 1150 and North 1800 roads, and a few more near her home in the Deerfield neighborhood.
Meanwhile, humanmade lights were aglow across Lawrence.
However, scientists urge people to turn off any unnecessary lights at night this time of year. Many millions of birds die each year by slamming into windows, and light pollution during migration season increases the risks, according to another great Kansas News Service article from Friday.
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Note: This post has been corrected from a previous version.
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