Northern Lights & Spectacular Sights

Thanks to unusually strong solar flare activity, Sunday River was home to some spectacular views of the Northern Lights this weekend!

What Are the Northern Lights?

The sun emits more than just heat and sunlight toward Earth. Inside the sun is a nuclear fusion equaling 10 billion hydrogen bombs igniting every second. Essentially, the sun is inwardly trying to blow itself apart. Outwardly, gravity is keeping it together.
During this solar balancing act, high-energy particles are released, which is called solar wind. The sun spits this solar wind in all directions, including toward Earth where they interact with our magnetosphere.
As these charged particles collide with atoms and molecules in our atmosphere, they excite them, causing the atoms to release energy in the form of light. This is what creates the beautiful phenomenon known as the northern lights.

For more fun information on when/how to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights in Maine – https://www.visitmaine.net/northern-lights-maine/.