National Geographic Best Photos of Nature

http://www.fourwinds10.com/siterun_data/spiritual/pictures/news.php?q=1204915314

Sheri - there's some Northern Lights here (a pretty spectacular occurrence - this doesn't happen every day).

Thats cool pictures

Kathy ~ spectacular. Brings tears to my eyes just thinking about actually seeing something that amazing in person. It's just one of those natural phenomena that I want to experience at least one time in my life. Can't imaging that it would ever become "normal." Someday (but apparently not in September). My bro told me they actually saw a smidgen of the lights a few years ago here in WA. I'd probably be happy even with that! Kind of a bummer that it's been so cloudy because there was a triple flyby in the sky. . .the ISS, the space shuttle Endeavor, and the European Space Agency's Jules Verne cargo carrier. . .

"Space shuttle Endeavour has undocked from the International Space Station and the two spaceships are now orbiting Earth in tandem. This sets the stage for a series of rare *triple* flybys, which many sky watchers will be able to observe on Tuesday, March 25th. It's a triple because three spacecraft are involved. First to appear is the European Space Agency's Jules Verne cargo carrier flying 2000 kilometers ahead of the ISS-Endeavour combo. Jules Verne is about as bright as a 1st magnitude star. Four minutes later, and even brighter, the space shuttle and space station follow Jules Verne across the starry sky--a spectacular sight!"

We had a telescope in Arizona but left it with the buyer of our log cabin down there assuming the night sky here would not be quite as remarkable as in Arizona. I must admit I do miss that. . .

We saw the northern lights from our house on Virginia Point when I was little. They were beautiful. Don't remember why they were so clear at that time.

I remember seeing them when I was growing up north of Bellingham.They'd show on cold,clear winter nights.I see them once in a while here,but not like up north.

Neat that you can have them without the very low degree temps. I'll keep my fingers crossed that we do get that phenomenon here, Sheri. It is remarkable and I do miss it. Sometimes they'd lightly pop and crackle as well. But it has to be really quiet to hear that, something you don't really get this close to the city.

I didn't realize that there was a triple flyby last night. Wow - Jules Verne would be tickled. I think you should get your telescope back - the nights here can be pretty cloudy, but it'd be great to be able to sky watch when the conditions are right.

beautiful pics!! i was in alaska last year in aug. but want the right time for the lights :( really had hoped to see them. thanks for sharing

It's a totally different place in the summer than it is in winter. Two whole different countries . . . the hard part is that for the most part you have to be far away from any human-light and it has to be cold for you to see them.

hi..
so i have been told when we were up there. seen the documentaries for the lights and their gorgeous. one day!

I took so much for granted when I lived up there (although how could I not?). So many of my memories are so specific to that place and time. All I wanted at the time was to live someplace where it was dark and warm. We either had dark and cold or light and warm. So no drive-in movies. I couldn't wait to do that when I moved down here. But by then there were only a couple and I had to drive to get there!! LOL