Nights like this don’t happen here in Maine very often. 2024 was the first year they had happened at all. I'd never seen the northern lights. Not even a chance in all my travels. It was on the list, but how to travel and plan for that and still completely dependent on the elements. Aurora storms are something we usually hear about happening in Iceland or Norway, not in Southern Maine, and even then certainly not visible near Portland even though I had a night sky filter and was going to try. My very first aurora I caught not too far from there at Dyer Point in Cape Elizabeth. I'd gone for a crescent moonset then SURPRISE! Aurora! I cried in the dark with a few dozen strangers now bonded for life at this experience.
This time, I drove out to Portland Head Light with almost no expectations. The second you hope for the thing, you can scare it off, right?? Anyway, as the colors of sunset faded, the muted dance of the aurora started to glow. The glow more, then really glow, then omg.
What made it even stranger was how bright it was for such a populated area. You could see the colors clearly, even with the glow from the city and Casco Bay. I didn't know where to go. The area is huge and from all angles there were colors. I took hundreds of photos as I struggled to catch my breath.
I don't know about you, but if you've ever seen them in person it's a breathtaking experience that gives an adrenaline rush like no other. You can't stop smiling and your eyes tear up, and it's an incredible experience.
It still doesn’t feel real when I look at it, the kind of phenomenon most people don't get to see, let alone photograph. I feel incredibly lucky to have had this experience.
Also seen on the Cover of the United States Lighthouse Society's Special 40th Anniversary Issue of The Keeper's Log
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Nights like this don’t happen here in Maine very often. 2024 was the first year they had happened at all. I'd never seen the northern lights. Not even a chance in all my travels. It was on the list, but how to travel and plan for that and still completely dependent on the elements. Aurora storms are something we usually hear about happening in Iceland or Norway, not in Southern Maine, and even then certainly not visible near Portland even though I had a night sky filter and was going to try. My very first aurora I caught not too far from there at Dyer Point in Cape Elizabeth. I'd gone for a crescent moonset then SURPRISE! Aurora! I cried in the dark with a few dozen strangers now bonded for life at this experience.
This time, I drove out to Portland Head Light with almost no expectations. The second you hope for the thing, you can scare it off, right?? Anyway, as the colors of sunset faded, the muted dance of the aurora started to glow. The glow more, then really glow, then omg.
What made it even stranger was how bright it was for such a populated area. You could see the colors clearly, even with the glow from the city and Casco Bay. I didn't know where to go. The area is huge and from all angles there were colors. I took hundreds of photos as I struggled to catch my breath.
I don't know about you, but if you've ever seen them in person it's a breathtaking experience that gives an adrenaline rush like no other. You can't stop smiling and your eyes tear up, and it's an incredible experience.
It still doesn’t feel real when I look at it, the kind of phenomenon most people don't get to see, let alone photograph. I feel incredibly lucky to have had this experience.
Also seen on the Cover of the United States Lighthouse Society's Special 40th Anniversary Issue of The Keeper's Log
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