Meteors and Auroras and Halos, Oh My!
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For more information on atmospheric phenomena, see here.

Aurora (and more)

​The near and the far. ​The pink-red glow of an Aurora display with rays results from a geomagnetic storm. Mt. Adams is visible on the horizon to the left, with the summit of Mt. Rainier visible to its right, silhouetted by light pollution from Seattle-Tacoma. Light pollution from nearby Goldendale, WA can be seen to the right. The light dome of Yakima, WA is almost centered on magnetic north, as is the auroral arc. The Andromeda Galaxy, the most distant thing you can see with the naked eye at 2.54 million light years away, hangs as a fuzzy oval just to the right of the Milky Way.

Taken by Mike McKeag the night of July 17 2017, from the top of Dalles Mountain. It is a 3-frame panorama. 

Sun Halos

Wispy clouds made up of ​ice crystals can refract and reflect sunlight in many varied ways to create beautiful arcs and loops around the sun.  These pictures were taken on June 22, 2014 near and at the Goldendale Observatory. They show the common 22 degree halo, a circumhorizontal rainbow, and a parhelic circle.

​Photos by Bob Yoesle

Noctilucent Clouds

Noctilucent Clouds are the Earth's highest clouds. Seeded by meteor dust and enhanced by the greenhouse gas methane, they float 82 km above Earth's surface at the edge of space. NLCs are rarely seen below the Arctic Circle. Recently - and possibly due to climate change - they have spread to lower latitudes with sightings as far south as Utah and Colorado.
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Noctilucent Cloud, July 23, 2009, Goldendale, Washington.
​Photo by Evan Shipman.

Observing tips: During the summer months, look west 30 to 60 minutes after sunset when the Sun has dipped 6 to 16 degrees below the horizon. If you see luminous blue-white tendrils spreading across the sky, you may have spotted a noctilucent cloud.
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​Noctilucent Cloud, July 23, 2009, Vancouver, Washington.
​Photo by Orion Yoesle.

Meteor Shower

Perseid meteors (and one sporadic at the tree line on left) captured the night of 11-12 August 2016 from Flattop Sno Park, near Trout Lake, WA.

Composite photo by Mike McKeag.