Ontario photographer reveals how best to see the night skies
An astrophotographer from southern Ontario captured Thursday night’s display of the Aurora Borealis, and has offered some tips and tricks for catching a glimpse of them yourself tonight.
Trevor Jones, of St. Catharines, Ont., told CTV News Toronto Friday that Ontario’s Thursday night light show can be attributed to the sun.
“When we're seeing the northern lights, it means that the solar wind from the sun is sending these charged solar particles towards Earth and we see them at the poles,” Jones said. “It's called a geomagnetic storm.”
“When the storm is strong enough and far enough south in latitude, you can see them here in Ontario,” he said. “But it’s quite a rare sight.”
Jones, who has been photographing space for more than a decade, caught the lights “dancing overhead” in St. Catharines Thursday night and was among a number of photographers who captured Thursday's recent solar event.
In Bowmanville, Ont., resident Brian Connelly also managed to lens the light show, getting a number of shots between 10:45 p.m. and midnight.
Will the northern lights be visible tonight?
Jones said, while slightly weaker, Aurora Borealis should be visible Friday night in Ontario as well.
“The biggest thing you need is clear skies, so if it's completely cloudy, you'll miss them altogether,” Jones said. “Last night, it was partially cloudy, so it was enough where we could actually still see them.”
He also recommends getting away from the light pollution of the city and allowing your eyes to adjust to the dark for at least 25 minutes for optimal viewing.
Photo by Trevor Jones (https://astrobackyard.com/)
If possible, travelling to a dark-sky preserve, areas where light pollution has been nearly eliminated and residents can enjoy “celestial landscapes,” will give viewers the best shot at a vivid show.
Canada has 13 federally-designated dark-sky preserves, areas where light pollution is kept to a minimum or eliminated completely. Three provincial parks in Ontario have an official dark-sky designation as well. Some of the nearest to Toronto include Binbrook Conservation Area in Niagara, Ont. and Torrance Barrens in Gravenhurst, Ont.
But you don't necessarily need to travel to a designated dark-sky preserve to see the phenomenon. On Thursday night, residents reported seeing the northern lights in downtown Toronto.
Jones also captured what he called his “ first ‘galaxy season' image” of the year on Thursday night in St. Catharines.
“From March to June, [...] there's just so many galaxies available to observe and photograph, so it's a fun time for astrophotographers,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
WATCH LIVE As GC Strategies partner is admonished by MPs, RCMP confirms search warrant executed
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday it had executed a search warrant at an address registered to GC Strategies. This development comes as MPs are enacting an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power, summoning one of its contractors to appear before the House of Commons to be admonished publicly for failing to answer questions related to the ArriveCan app.
Disappointment widespread over budget's proposed $200-month disability benefit funding
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.