I keep seeing people call the Northern Lights 'green' when they're often not

In my experience, especially near Fairbanks last March, the aurora was mostly a pale white curtain with faint purple edges. I think a lot of photos online are edited to boost the green, so folks expect that. It matters because you might miss the real show waiting for a color that isn't coming. Has anyone else seen them look more silver or pink than bright green?

3 comments

3 Comments

terry_bailey352mo ago

My trip to Iceland last fall showed mostly a rippling gray-white light, like a ghostly curtain. The camera picked up a faint green tint my eyes couldn't see at all. It's a much more subtle and shifting show in person than the saturated photos online.

taylor821mo ago

Question why people get so worked up over all this. You saw a cool light show in the sky, that's the whole experience right there. Cameras always lie a little anyway, so who cares if it was gray or green, you were there.

wesley1392mo ago

Guess the color police are out in force. People get so hung up on what something should look like instead of just watching the sky do its thing. Saw them in Norway and yeah, they were more like a pale shimmer than a neon sign. The whole debate feels like arguing if a sunset is orange or red, it's still a sunset. Just enjoy the free light show.

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