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Driving into the Northern Lights

Driving back home from a weekend at my parents' we noticed some strange cloud formations in the moonlight. Except. There was no moon: it wasn't supposed to rise until 1 AM.

We realized our mistake when we rounded a turn and began heading due north and found ourselves driving head-on into a brilliant, green, shimmering aurora borealis. Unfortunately, we only got to witness the display for a few minutes before clouds began rolling in, obscuring the view.

Auroras are formed when radiation ejected from solar disturbances interacts with the earth's magnetosphere. Thanks to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, we can view the current space weather conditions at any time.

Below is the map from tonight at 9:32 PM EST, about half an hour after we witnessed the light show. Activity level 10 indicates a very active atmosphere at the time of our viewing.