Last Night's View: Skies Filled with Stunning Aurora

By Nancy Atkinson - October 9, 2012 at 5:03 PM UTC | Planetary Science

The Aurora Borealis fills nearly the entire sky in Cleary Summit, Alaska. Credit: Jason Ahrns on Flickr.

With just a glancing blow from a coronal mass ejection (CME) this week, skywatchers in the northern latitudes have been enjoying some beautiful views of the Aurora Borealis. Here are a few stunning views from last night (October 8-9, 2012), including this jaw-dropping aurora that filled the entire sky for Jason Ahrns in Cleary Summit, Alaska. "This lens has a near-180 degree field of view from corner to corner - this swirl covered the entire sky, and put off enough light to read the focus indicator on my lens," Jason wrote on

Flickr.

See more below:

This view is from Kilmany, Scotland. "You could see the rays moving left - so stunning," said photographer

Corinne Mills

.

This view came from the AuroraMAX camera in Yellowknife, NWT taken at 00:53 MDT on October 9, 2012. Credit:

"I've been tracking aurora activity all day and it peaked again tonight," writes photographer

Gareth Paxton on Flickr

. "There was a substantial glow in the sky - this was taken from Linlithgow (Scotland)."

Northern lights over Ottawa, Canada. Credit: F

ailedProtostar on Flickr.

Stunning view from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Credit:

Another beauty by Jason Arhns in Alaska, which he calls a "ghost flame." Credit:

Green aurora over Ulverston, Cumbria, UK. Credit: