JACKSON, Wyo. — A surprise aurora borealis lit up the night skies over Grand Teton National Park on the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 27.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center reported that the Kp index was only expected to reach level 5.67 between 10 p.m. and the early hours of 3 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28, which would make an aurora barely visible on the northern horizon in Jackson Hole. According to NOAA, an aurora that reaches 6 Kp or higher is visible in the northern hemisphere.
The aurora was visible throughout the valley Tuesday evening, emitting geomagnetic red, yellow and green lights. According to GTNP, dozens of rangers came out of their cozy warm cabins in the middle of the night to stare at the celestial event.
“Once again, the Tetons had a light show of cosmic proportions,” GTNP said via Facebook on Wednesday, Aug. 28. “Last night’s surprise aurora left rangers and visitors buzzing this morning.”
According to GTNP, an aurora borealis becomes visible when energy and matter are expelled from the sun, become trapped in the magnetic field of the planet and interact with the atmosphere.
“Like a neon light turning on when you plug it in, our atmosphere can start to glow when exposed to certain types of energy,” GTNP said.”Oxygen and nitrogen light up the skies, emitting light in the color spectrum anywhere from green/blue to red/pink. The high amount of solar activity this year has made for more regular and brighter auroras the world over.”
