Photos: Aurora borealis sweeps over Vashon and Maury

Readers submitted photos of the rare light phenomena from last weekend.

By Alex Bruell • May 16, 2024 10:30 am

Vashon residents were treated to glorious sun by day and stunning light shows by night this weekend, as a bout of summer weather coincided with a rare appearance of the aurora borealis over much of the contiguous United States.

Auroras are created when energized particles from the sun hit the Earth’s atmosphere. The planet’s magnetic field redirects those particles toward the north and south poles, creating fantastic curtains of colorful light.

But a series of strong solar flares and belches of plasma and magnetism from the sun triggered an unusually strong geomagnetic storm visible over much of the U.S. this weekend, including Vashon-Maury island.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, solar activity is estimated to hit the peak of its current 11-year cycle late this year — so more auroras may be in the cards.

Light pollution meant that the aurora this weekend wasn’t as visible to the naked eye as some might have hoped, but cameras proved adept at capturing the lights.

“This past weekend was one of the most glorious in the 30 years my wife, Nancy, and I have lived on Maury,” said island photographer Ray Pfortner, between the weather events and Mother’s Day.

Pfortner had seen the northern lights before, but Nancy, who is from Arizona, had not. For years, they’ve tried to catch the lights on the island, only to have their hopes dashed by fog and clouds every time.

Friday evening to Saturday morning was different, he said. The couple visited the Dockton and Portage areas, the latter of which was where Pfortner spied his first ever “warm” aurora colors — the rarer reddish-sienna colors — over the island.

His three lessons learned: Never, ever hesitate to go out and look. Try any camera you have to reveal what your eyes can’t see. And remember how blessed you are to live in the Vashon-Maury island community.