Remember when we covered Idaho’s physics-defying phenomena a while back? As luck would have it, Idaho just keeps getting more and more beautiful and mysterious by the day! Only this time, the magic happens at night.

While we’re not quite far north enough to experience the full, mesmerizing beauty of the aurora borealis on a regular basis, away from the urban light pollution of other states, Idaho does have some rather fantastic star gazing opportunities. And sometimes, when star-gazing, you might just catch a glimpse of something unexpectedly phenomenal, the way Sheryl Garrison did near Shepherd Lake. Prepare to be amazed!

Here in Sagle, Idaho, something spectacular occurred on Mother's Day.
Sheryl R. Garrison Photography
The northern lights -- dazzling, colorful natural phenomena that have entranced night sky observers for millennia -- scientifically speaking, are actually caused by the sun. Boiling, fiery sunspots on the sun's surface hurl particles of plasma into space, also known as solar winds. When these winds reach the earth, the chemical composition of the particles determine the specific colors, while altitude and latitude determine how strong the aurora will be.
Amidst an impressive display of the aurora borealis, a rare "proton arc" appeared to cut across the night sky.
Sheryl R. Garrison Photography
Rare and still relatively undocumented, proton arcs are unique in that the lights appear as a faint streak in the sky, rather than a shifting curtain. As the name implies, they are also caused by the protons in the sun's plasma particles, rather than its highly charged electrons (thus, the slightly dimmer colors).

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Distinct from the vibrant aurora displays taking place alongside it, the two phenomena side-by-side are mesmerizing.
Sheryl R. Garrison Photography
Since the two light displays are caused by two separate particles, both phenomena can appear simultaneously, but proton occurrences are much more rare. However, both are easiest to see the farther north you travel -- and the more distance you put between you and nearby city lights.
The arc faded and came back before slowly disappearing into the night sky.
Sheryl R. Garrison Photography
As solar activity dies down, so do the light displays. The particular solar cycle our system is currently in is weak compared to previous decades, but downloading a night sky-watcher app will help you to track these wonderful events and hopefully catch them in person! For more photos and the full story behind those pictured, be sure to check out Sheryl's blog.
But this isn't the first tine a photographer has inadvertently caught a proton arc.
Jasper Moore/Flickr
Do you see it?

Pretty awesome, right? Check out this amazing video taken on the same night!

In this video, the dramatic and breathtaking shifting colors of the aurora borealis are absolutely stunning, but the unexpected appearance of the proton arc mid-way is quite the treat! A special thank you to both Donny M and Sheryl Garrison Photography for capturing this spectacular event!

 

Want to see more? Idaho is a wonderful treasure-trove of unique phenomena, no matter the season, so be sure to check out our state’s other fascinating phenomena — there’s so much to be in awe of, here!

Have you ever seen the northern lights here in Idaho, or experienced any other type of aurora? Where were you and what did you think? Pretty magical, right?!

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