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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.