The evening of October 10, 2024, we were able to experience something very unexpected; a sight that we thought we would only be able to experience when able to take a long trip to the most Northern States, or in another country such as Canada or Norway (which we still hope to do). While working at church, preparing for an upcoming service, one of our daughters called to share that she and her husband were able to see the Northern Lights during their walk to a marina in the Outer Banks, NC. Exactly ... What? She called knowing how much I have always wanted to see them. Plus, also knowing my love for sailboats, she shared a beautiful picture with us of sailboats surrounded by the evening skies bursting with color. "Wow! What a beautiful site!"
We didn't have anywhere with sailboats, but we weren't far from the mountains on the Blue Ridge Parkway. "Let's go!" We quickly finished up our work and headed out in hopes to see even a glimpse of this surprise... even if just a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis in Virginia; mind you, the central to mountainous area of Virginia.
Watching the sky grow darker and darker, we drove away from city lights in search of the perfect vantage point. Passing clusters of people, also waiting in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights, we finally arrived at a high point of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Buchanan County, VA. With only a few other people near this spot, it was plenty dark and peaceful which made for an awesome experience.
The night air quickly grew very cool, but we were prepared thanks to keeping a picnic blanket and a few 'adventure items' in the trunk of our car. We have learned that staying prepared is a good idea as we tend to end up on unexpected adventures! However, only having the camera on our phone, we hoped that would be enough to capture the memories of the beautiful sky of lights unfolding before our eyes. Thankfully, it worked just fine by going to 'pro mode' and adjusting the speed to a slower setting. We were able to see the lights without looking through a camera, as many people were suggesting had to be done. Actually around 10:15 p.m. the lights began changing between pink, green, and purple, bursting with columns very visible to the naked eye. We were amazed and in a state of bliss to see this heavenly gift, much sooner in life than we've ever imagined.
Lastly, we are not sure what this is. On our way back down the mountain, we decided to pull off for one last secluded view of the night sky. We were not sure if we would see anything at all since it was a view of the southern sky, yet we still stopped to enjoy this adventure for a bit longer. As we looked to the sky and attempted to take a picture, there was something visible that we didn't expect. We took several pictures, cleared the settings, and made sure nothing was on the lens, etc... but this was there regardless ... this strange streak in the sky, with several others that aren't as visible as the main one in the image below. When zoomed in, it is tubular and has small molecule-looking 'circles' inside the 'tube', somewhat like DNA strands, but not quite. We tried using Google Lens to search the image, but the results were not very helpful due to inconstancies. Perhaps it was something to do with the magnetic storm that was occurring that affected the stars. It was certainly very interesting.
We wrapped up our very late-night outing with a stop at a nearby Sheetz to get a snack and a warm, cozy chai tea, then had a peaceful drive home. Another awesome adventure in the books!
---
Take your favorite drink on the go in our custom designed, P.S. He Loves You, John 3:16 Travel Mug. Or find the perfect cozy hoodie and other items in the Coalesce Ministries Shop.
---
Please share this site, and don't forget to register at the top of this blog to receive updates when there is a new post!
As always, thank you for your support of Coalesce Ministries! Blessings!