By Mackenzie Prince 
Some University of Maryland students witnessed the northern lights shine across campus on Oct. 10. 

The view consisted of an arrangement of colors, including purple, blue and green, that was visible from approximately 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. 

Elizabeth Warner, a Principal Faculty Specialist in the Department of Astronomy and the director of UMD Observatory, explained how this scientific phenomenon works. 

“The northern lights are an interaction between particles from the sun interacting with the magnetic field surrounding the earth before spiraling in and interacting with our atmosphere,” Warner said. “There’s material flowing from the sun at all times, which can occasionally cause bigger outbursts or coronal mass ejections, distributing large amounts of material. If [Earth] is in the path of it, that material can get caught in our magnetic field and cause an aurora.” 

Despite the excitement expressed by observers, many were left confused about why the aurora was clear in Maryland. Even those who did not see it, such as freshman finance major Erik Anderson, were puzzled. Although this site is not completely new to the state, it is fairly uncommon. 

“I didn’t realize it was happening until I found out afterwards,” Anderson said. “It was kinda weird that they were visible [in Maryland], and I don’t even know what phenomena caused it.” 

However, according to Warner, this dazzling display was not all that abnormal. 

“This distribution of material is happening all the time, so auroras are pretty common at northern and southern latitudes,” Warner said. “Occasionally, when you have a really large outburst of material and other conditions are just right, the northern lights can move further down south, like this past week.” 

For the students who were lucky enough to admire the colorful night sky, many described the experience as unforgettable. 

Hannah Bernstein, a freshman government and politics major, learned about the view from her roommate, who is an astronomy major. 

“I thought that it was really cool that we got to see [the northern lights] since it probably was a once in a lifetime experience,” Bernstein said. “We were able to see them outside of Elkton Hall and in front of Eppley. It was so pretty.” 

For those unable to witness the aurora, Warner confirmed that another light show of this magnitude is still possible due to the sun’s current rotation. 

“The sun has a magnetic field, and at the beginning of the cycle, it begins with neat lines, but as the sun rotates, the line gets tangled. Eventually, they pop, causing material to become trapped in sun spots and become coronal mass ejections,” Warner said. “Every 11 years, the cycle will restart, causing the Sun to have maximums and minimums of material. We are currently at a maximum.” 

Despite the science behind it, Warner hopes that UMD students can witness this phenomenon at least once in their lives. Nevertheless, she warns eager viewers that they must take matters into their own hands.  

“If you don’t go out and look, you will definitely not see it,” Warner said. “Take the chance. Go out and try because you might see something really amazing.”

Featured Image: The Northern Lights were visible around UMD’s campus. Photo by Hannah Bernstein.