Long January Night
Long January Night
Hooting owls cut through the frosty air. A quiet gurgling sound came from the open water on the Tongue River. Sudden snaps, cracks, and pops disturbed the stillness as river ice shifted. After staring at nothing for an hour, finally my eyes could see what my camera had already detected: a noticeable glow to the north. It could be mistaken for light pollution, except there were no cities in that direction. Slowly the glow increased in brightness before it broke out into a substorm. Pillars rose up from the horizon and drifted from right to left. In the past I’ve not had much success aurora hunting in the middle of winter. But there’s a first time for everything.