Aurora is the best show in town for Calgary sky watchers

Aurora photographed by Matt Melnyk near Drumheller, Alta., early on Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Photo: Matt Melnyk)

There's been a real sky show this weekend over North America, as the aurora has been causing a lot of sky watchers to lose sleep.

We've received plenty of stunning shots, ranging from southwest to northwest Calgary, a Drumheller campground, an acreage in the Community of Hotchkiss, all the way to High River and a Dreamliner 787 in flight from Calgary to Rome, where pilot -- and photographer -- Matt Melnyk shot photos of aurora high over northern Quebec.

Over northern Quebec, May 12, 2024 (Matt Melnyk)

"I know the Aurora Borealis has been the big talk of the town lately, with very good reason!," Melnyk said, in an email sent from Rome early Sunday morning. "The last two nights we were treated to an amazing display of aurora, and people have been able to see it, who have never seen it before!  This is quite remarkable. 

"These photos were taken from the flight deck of the Dreamliner last night, while flying from Calgary to Rome Italy.  These were shot at 35,000 feet over Northern Quebec. "

Aurora shot from Dreamliner 737 over northern Quebec, May 12, 2024 (Matt Melnyk)

Calgarians were able to enjoy the light show from their own back yards. Here's one from Jeff Goble, who shot it from West Hillhurst in northwest Calgary.

Aurora in West Hillhurst, Calgary, May 11, 2024 (Photo: Jeff Goble)

Meanwhile, Nicolas Kostiw sent one from the southwest of the city, right near the CTV tower.

Aurora photographed by Nicolas Kostiw, May 11, 2024 in southwest Calgary

Up in High River, Alta., James Durbano saw them too.

Aurora photographed near Astrodome at High River, Alta., May 11, 2024. (Photo: James Durbano)

Michelle Dominique-Aris shot these on an IPhone 13 between 12:30 a.m. and 1 a.m. Saturday morning around 3.5 km east of Calgary on an acreage in the Community of Hotchkiss, Alta.

Aurora near Hotchkiss, Alta., May 11, 2024 (Photo: Michelle Dominique-Aris)

"Look at the floating Angel," Dominique-Aris wrote.  "I hope you enjoy and  this lifts your spirits for all who missed the Aurora Angel."

Aurora near Hotchkiss, Alta., May 11, 2024 (Photo: Michelle Dominque-Aris)

Meanwhile, longtime aurora chaser Melnyk camped out with some fellow sky watchers Friday night outside Drumheller. He described the sky show as a night unlike any other.

"Last night on May the 10^th was by far one of the most amazing northern light displays I have seen in my 15 years of chasing aurora," Melnyk wrote. " All the different colours were mind blowing!"

Melnyk said the cause of the spectacle was a unique solar sequence that rarely occurs.

"Last night was very special because we hit a G4 solar storm," he said.  "The last time we had one of this strength, was in 2003. 

"People saw aurora last night (Friday into Saturday) that have never seen aurora before in places like Florida, Nashville, Italy, France. 

"The amount of charged particles that came recently from the sun has far exceeded anything have had in the last two decades," he added. "This is due to a very large region of sunspots that have continued to produce solar flares for the last three days.  The flares have continued even through today (Saturday)."

Aurora near Drumheller, Saturday May 11, 2024

Aurora shot from Dreamliner 737 over northern Quebec, May 12, 2024 (Matt Melnyk)