PHOTOS: Elements of nature collide with amazing aurora in Saskatoon

Saskatoon amateur photographer Dr. Shaden Rislan Bani Yaseen said she was mesmerized by the way elements of nature collided in the skies over Saskatoon on Sept. 14.

Yaseen, who sent her photos in to 650 CKOM, said the sky was a fascinating blend of natural elements on Friday night, with thick clouds covering most of the sky, muting the light.

“Despite the rain falling steadily, the ethereal beauty of the northern nights still managed to break through occasionally,” Yaseen said.

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“Their vibrant green and purple hues danced behind the clouds, casting a surreal glow across the wet landscape. The rain, though constant, added a misty aura to the sky, making the colors of the aurora even more mesmerizing when they peeked through.

“It was a rare combination of weather — where rain, clouds, and the northern lights coexisted in an unusual harmony.”

The lights, or aurora borealis, are caused when the Sun blasts charged particles (electrons and protons) into space, which is called the solar wind, according to the Canadian Space Agency.

When the Earth’s magnetic field protects the planet from the solar wind, the magnetic field lines are dragged and stretched, snapping back like an elastic band, launching charged particles down towards Earth’s surface along the magnetic field lines.

The northern lights occur when these charged particles launched along Earth’s magnetic field collide with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Those collisions produce tiny flashes that fill the sky with colourful light, the government agency says. This light works the same way as a neon lamp or an old cathode ray tube television set. As billions of flashes occur in sequence, the auroras appear to move or dance in the sky.

Here are some of Yaseen’s photos: