The northern lights put on a spectacular show over Saskatoon on Monday night.
Dancing bands of red and green created an intense display in the skies overnight, which was captured on film by Saskatoon photographer Dr. Shaden Rislan Bani Yaseen.
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The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are caused when the Sun blasts charged electrons and protons into space in an effect known as 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 and 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.
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 aurora appears to move or dance in the sky.
Yaseen said it’s rare to see red in the aurora, but those hues were on full display in the skies over Saskatoon on Monday.
“The red auroras are particularly special, appearing when solar particles interact with oxygen at high altitudes, resulting in a striking and extraordinary display,” Yaseen said.
“This rarity makes these images even more significant, capturing moments that few are fortunate enough to witness.”
Yaseen said the aurora is a strong reminder of both the beauty of nature and the vastness of the universe.
“In a world often filled with chaos, the northern lights inspire us to pause, look up, and appreciate the fleeting magic of these stunning displays.”
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