20 photos and videos of last night's powerful Northern Lights over Vancouver
![20 photos and videos of last night's powerful Northern Lights over Vancouver](https://assets.dailyhive.com/assets/2.3.18/static/pictures/nav/channels/news-nav-2x.jpg)
A dazzling natural light show that lit up Metro Vancouver’s skies late Saturday night and into the early morning hours of Sunday was one of the most powerful and colourful Northern Lights displays in the region in years.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Sean McGee, a local stargazer, told Vancity Buzz. “Usually you need your camera to see it really clearly, but this time around you could see it quite brightly with your naked eye even from the city with all the light pollution.”
There was a cluster of green behind the North Shore mountains, which is normally the Northern Lights phenomenon that Vancouver experiences. But to the west of it, there was also a massive long kaleidoscope streak of white, pink, blue, and purple.
Of course, those who were further north and away from urban areas saw a greater intensity of the display, including over Howe Sound and Pitt Lake. The Northern Lights were also seen as far south as Seattle and Michigan.
Repeat shows could be produced again on Sunday night and Monday night as Earth is currently traveling through a part of the solar system that is high in magnetic energy. When solar energy interacts with elements in the Earth’s atmosphere, the colourful light show is often produced although it only reaches as far south as Vancouver a few times a year.
The skies over Metro Vancouver will be relatively clear on both nights.
The Northern Lights showing through the lights of the city last night. Taken: 11:34 05/07/16 #vancouver #604now #vancity #vancouverisawesome #vancityvibe #follow #pnw #northernlights #auroraborealis #artofvisuals #vancitybuzz #rooftopping #yvr #604 #instagramvancouver A photo posted by Matthew Yee (@mathoyee) on
First picture of this Eve’s Aurora Borealis over Vancouver. #narcity_vancouver #jaw_dropping_shots #vancouver_canada #vancouver #vancouverbc #natgeo #vancitybuzz #vancityhype #vancitylife #auroraborealis #aurora #northernlights #fireinthesky#604now #inside_vancouver #tourismvancouver A photo posted by @markaswan on
Aurora borealis, Vancouver 04/08/16 #vancitybuzz #vancouveraurora #vancouver #auroraborealis #Bucketlist #dreamscometrue #exploreBC #Backyard A photo posted by Niamh Ryan (@niamhmr89) on
About last night (May 8th, Sunday 2am) #vancouver #vancity #vancitybuzz #porteaucove #auroraborealis #veryvancouver #lovebc #outsidebrazil A photo posted by Gabriel Bombarda Barros (@gabrielbarrosphoto) on
Happy mothers day to all you amazing mums out there! And more importantly happy birthday to my mum back in England! Here’s a little taste of what we got up to last night @staysinspired & @colekrahn #natureboys #greatnorthcollective #wildernessculture #watchthisinstagood A photo posted by Tom Hill (@tomhill_photography) on
The northern lights are dancing their way across the sky tonight, bright enough that I can see them through my window as I lay here in bed. { photo was taken last June } #ocean #sea #sky #night #nightphotography #stars #northernlights #auroraborealis #photography #beach #sillouette #victoriabc #vancouverisland #yyj #britishcolumbia #hellobc #explorevictoria #pkols A photo posted by Cʜᴇʟʟᴇ Rᴀɢʜɴᴀɪᴅ (@chelleraghnaid) on
A photo posted by Miles Danger Rudka (@that_miles_guy) on
A photo posted by earthling || love & gratitude???? (@seanaemckennaa) on
![Image: Dechi G. / Flickr](https://images.dailyhive.com/vancitybuzz/uploads/2016/05/vancouver-northern-lights-1.jpg)
Image: Dechi G. / Flickr