Northern Lights create spectacular show seen from atop Mount Washington
NORTH CONWAY, N.H. - The summit of Mount Washington is known for having some of the worst weather in the world - like record-setting wind chills of 108 degrees below zero earlier this month. But early Wednesday morning, New England's highest peak was the best vantage point for one of nature's most dazzling displays: The Northern Lights.
The Mount Washington Observatory shared a time-lapse of the aurora borealis "at its peak visibility."
Northern Lights 15 February 2023From approximately 0100 to 0430 EST this morning, the Northern Lights were visible from the summit (as well as eyewitness reports/images from VT/ME). This is a timelapse of about 30 minutes of frames that we were able to capture at its peak visibility. An upcoming Science in the Mountain program will be discussing Aurora Borealis. The full schedule of our FREE online programs is available at www.mountwashington.org/educational-programs/science-in-the-mountains.aspx
Posted by Mount Washington Observatory on Wednesday, February 15, 2023
"From approximately 0100 to 0430 EST this morning, the Northern Lights were visible from the summit (as well as eyewitness reports/images from VT/ME)," the observatory said.
The northern lights are caused when solar energy from the sun collides with the Earth's magnetic field.
The observatory is hosting a virtual science lesson on the aurora borealis and other atmospheric wonders seen from the summit on April 11.