Michigan State Police Officers Stop To Catch Some Lights That Aren’t On Their Cruisers

Michigan is one of the rare states where on certain nights, you can catch one of the most spectacular light shows in nature: The Northern Lights.

(Or, aurora borealis if you want to call it by it's government name.)

And while I've never seen the Northern Lights in person, It's a dream of mine. This atmospheric phenomenon is frequently known as the Holy Grail of skywatching because of how rarely it happens. But, some Michigan State Police officers were treated to quite a view during their patrol on Sunday night.

What causes the northern lights?

According to experts, "At any given moment, the sun is ejecting charged particles from its corona, or upper atmosphere, creating what's called the solar wind. When that wind slams into Earth's ionosphere, or upper atmosphere, the aurora is born. In the Northern Hemisphere, the phenomenon is called the northern lights (aurora borealis), while in the Southern Hemisphere, it's called the southern lights (aurora australis)."

At any given moment, the sun is ejecting charged particles from its corona, or upper atmosphere, creating what's called the solar wind. When that wind slams into Earth's ionosphere, or upper atmosphere, the aurora is born. In the Northern Hemisphere, the phenomenon is called the northern lights (aurora borealis), while in the Southern Hemisphere, it's called the southern lights (aurora australis).

According to a tweet from MSP district 7, Gaylord Officers stopped to enjoy this scene during Sunday night's Northern Lights.

While, seeing lights and MSP in the same place can be pretty stressful, this is one view that's hard not to enjoy. Thanks for sharing.