h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was walking back from my friend's house late last night and noticed the moon had a halo. It was starting to cloud over. Venus was the only visible star.

Towards the south, some clouds were evident, but what struck me was three vertical "clouds", like a curtain. They LOOKED like clouds, but then I thought is was snow, coming down in sheet in an otherwise clear part of the sky.

The clouds moved slowly and steadily to the east and the "curtain stayed put. I watched it for a while and concluded it was more likely the Northern Lights.

It was garbage night so I started putting out the recycling boxes and a bag of garbage, periodically looking up at the curtain. While the clouds continued moving east, the curtain moved slowly west until they were hidden by the roof of my neighbour's house.

Not the most spectacular Northern Lights I have ever seen (actually, NONE have been as startling as I know they are usually seen), but bright enough to be seen through light, misty cloud, and the light pollution of Ottawa.

Mmmmm. . . memories of childhood years spent in Thompson Manitoba, north of 55, and the northern lights there on clear winter nights were enough to take your breath away (if the -40º temps hadn't already done so).

Also remember watching the sun go down at 3am in the summer . . .

But the rest of living there was total cr*p.


az