Meteor shower, Aurora Borealis put on show in Miramichi

Loggieville resident posts 3 am photos

The "Aurora Borealis," is also known as the Northern Lights. It is a natural light display that occurs in the polar regions, primarily in the Arctic Circle. It is caused by the interaction between charged particles from the sun and the Earth's magnetic field.

When these charged particles collide with the Earth's atmosphere, they produce beautiful and colorful light displays in the sky. The colors typically seen in the Aurora Borealis include green, pink, red, yellow, blue, and violet.

The Southern Hemisphere has a similar phenomenon called the Aurora Australis or the Southern Lights. Both the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis are stunning natural phenomena that attract visitors from around the world to witness their beauty.

Scientists predicts it could be visible from Miramichi north last night, and they were right.  Valerie Morrison of Loggieville captured these photos on her smart phone.  Good job Valerie!

The northern lights coincided with a meteor shower.  The Perseid meteor shower is an annual event that occurs between late July and mid-August. It is one of the most anticipated meteor showers of the year, known for producing a large number of bright meteors visible in the night sky.

The Perseid meteor shower is caused by debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle. As Earth passes through this debris field, the particles burn up in the atmosphere, creating bright streaks of light in the sky known as meteors or shooting stars.

The peak of the Perseid meteor shower typically occurs around mid-August, when the Earth passes through the densest part of the comet's debris trail. During the peak, skywatchers can see dozens of meteors per hour streaking across the night sky.

The Perseids are popular among stargazers because they are known for their bright and fast-moving meteors. It is often recommended to find a dark location away from city lights to maximize your chances of seeing the Perseid meteor shower at its best.