The Aurora Borealis, more commonly known as the northern lights, are the result of ejections of matter from the corona of the sun colliding with the upper atmosphere of the earth, the reaction causing waves and patterns of colored light. That's the scientific definition.

From an aesthetic viewpoint, the aurora is one of the most beautiful displays that can be seen in nature. On the nights these photos were taken, the show began as a green hue behind the clouds, with occasional bands of color giving way to great, flowing waves of green, red, and even some orange.

There is no way I can accurately describe what it is like to stand on an empty, dark beach and look at the sky, surrounded by multi-colored light in all directions, but I can try to use these photos to give you some idea.

The St. Joe shots were taken on Sunday, November 7th and the South Haven ones on Tuesday November 9th.

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