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‘Stunning’: Metro Vancouver sky lit up by aurora. Locals share how they captured the moment

In the wee hours, people across Metro Vancouver were treated to an epic display of northern lights
Elana Shepert
Elana Shepert

Scores of Lower Mainland residents captured vibrant photos of the northern lights over the past several days. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center observed a major G3 (Strong) geomagnetic storm on Thursday, May 29 and issued several warnings, including a (G4) severe storm watch on June 1. 

The NOAA has issued further geomagnetic storm watches, including possible G1 (minor) storms on Wednesday and Thursday this week. 

Digital nomad Colin Sandeman-Allen is based in Vancouver and captured a striking image of the aurora from Spanish Banks featuring bright lime green and deep violet-blue hues. He tells V.I.A. he took the shot around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday. He used a Canon M200 22mm Lens at F5, 320 ISO, and 25sec exposure, placed on a tripod on a log (see slide one). 

Michelle Huang took photos of the dancing lights from the University of British Columbia with her iPhone 12 mini around 2 a.m. on Tuesday (see slide two). 

Cliff Keogh tells V.I.A. he had to be up at 4:30 a.m. for work on Tuesday. He lives in Surrey but headed down to Spanish Banks around 11 p.m. Monday to go aurora hunting before taking a nap ahead of his workday.

"The show started to happen around midnight and by 2:15 a.m. (on Tuesday) I was back home in bed and up for 430 a.m.," he explained. 

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Cliff Keogh shares a photo of the settings he used to capture a vibrant image of the aurora at Spanish Banks. Photo courtesy Cliff Keogh

Rodrigo Aravena shared a carousel of multiple photos showing the northern lights' bright green hues over the iconic Lions Gate Bridge. He tells V.I.A. he went to Stanley Park with a friend on May 31 around midnight and took the photos between 12:15 a.m. and 1:15 a.m. on June 1.

"Initially, I was thinking of going to Third Beach, but then we decided to stop where we could have a view of the bridge and the mountains (by the Seawall on Stanley Park Drive, just after Pipeline Road)," he explains.

"I used my Samsung S23 Ultra in Astrophoto mode and my tripod."

Locals capture epic displays of the northern lights across Metro Vancouver 

Many other individuals captured aurora photos over the past several days, although the vibrancy of the images varies based on timing, locations, and technique. 

Still, even some fainter images show purple and green hues on the horizon. 

Sam Abdullah describes the dancing lights as "stunning." 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The current Metro Vancouver weather forecast includes clear skies, and the aurora borealis may appear again for photos on Wednesday and Thursday, in dark places further from light pollution.

Stay up-to-date with hyperlocal weather forecasts across 50 neighbourhoods in the Lower Mainland with Weatherhood. 

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