The aurora borealis lights up the northern sky behind a crucifix at the Catholic cemetery of St. Benedict Church in Bendena on Nov. 12. Leaven photographer Jay Soldner used a camera on a tripod, with a remote trigger. The exposure was 25 seconds. LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Conditions were perfect in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas to capture the wonder of the Northern Lights in mid-November.
Geomagnetic storms brought the brilliance of the lights to much of the United States for the first time in living memory. A geomagnetic storm is caused by the interaction between the Earth’s magnetic field and charged particles from the sun.
Down south, Gregory Wellnitz, director of Prairie Star Ranch in Williamsburg, took his camera and his 12-year-old son Leo around the ranch on Nov. 11, snapping photos at various locations. Here, Wellnitz captures Leo with his arms upraised, admiring the majesty of the lights. PHOTO BY GREGORY WELLNITZ
In addition to bringing color to the night sky, the storms can also disrupt technology like phones, satellites and GPS communications.
