Aurora Borealis Illuminates the Exeter Night Sky

Austin DeSisto / The Exonian

By SAM ALTMAN, AUSTIN DESISTO, JINMIN LEE, and FORREST ZENG

      On the night of May 10, the Academy community enjoyed a rare appearance of the Aurora Borealis, more commonly known as the Northern Lights.

      Exonians could be seen across campus gazing at the colorful spectacle, which turned the night sky into a dim green and purple hue. The aurora, caused by high-energy particles from the sun interacting with the atmosphere, typically occurs only in northern parts of the earth.

      Due to a large solar storm on the surface of the sun nearly 17 times wider than Earth, the aurora appeared far more south than it typically does, drawing awe from viewers across the United States. Solar activity on the surface of the sun follows a period of around a decade, and Exonians were just in time to catch the special phenomenon.

      Although the aurora was initially difficult to see with the naked eye, it was clearly visible through cameras. “We saw some shades in the sky, and it was very clear through my camera,” upper Masaki Muneyoshi said. “It wasn’t as conspicuous as in other parts of the nation, but it was still pretty cool.”

      “We decided to go down to Swasey parkway with the dorm to avoid the light pollution concentrated near town and to go to a calmer place where we could enjoy the nature of it all. The lights weren’t completely visible, but you could see occasional streaks in the sky. The camera was really what brought out the vivid blues and purples and greens,” upper Jacques Leleux said.

      “It was an incredible, transcendental experience,” said lower Andrew Gould. “I saw it in front of Cilley Hall and in front of the Academy building. Though I couldn’t see it at first with my naked eye, I could see it on camera. I was lucky Cilley Hall had a hide-and-seek in the Academy Building that night. I think it’s important to witness these jaw-dropping events because they break the monotony of life and allow us to appreciate the world’s beauty.”

      Prep Hugo Shinn, who was also at the Cilley Hall manhunt on Friday night, agreed: “It was truly magical as it was my first time seeing such an extraordinary event. I took a picture in the academy building with my friends. It was a mesmerizing experience; when I had seen pictures of the aurora before, I had always wanted to see it myself.”

      Senior Luca Shakoori concurred, saying, “The moment felt exhilarating: in my astronomy class, Mr. Blackwell took us outside with special glasses and explained why the northern lights happened. Although it was faintly visible to the naked eye, it was great seeing it through the camera’s long exposure.”

      Leleux concluded, “When I first heard whispers about the Northern Lights, I thought: ‘I mean, Aurora Borealis. At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country. Wow, that’s something special.’ I think it’s special to be in a place like New Hampshire where we have all sorts of forms of nature; we have variable weather, coastline, mountains, and now two unique astrological events in one year. It’s truly wonderful to be at a school where so many exciting events are happening, and I’m grateful to be here.”