'It kind of created a monster': Aurora borealis hunters out to capture intensifying light show

One of the natural wonders of the world that our region is famous for is giving viewers a spectacular show these days. The free exhibition of lights, the Aurora Borealis is heading into a significant natural performance cycle.

“They kept breaking into applause every time they peaked.”

As someone who’s been shooting the sky for decades Tim Yaworski remembers the moment he witnessed a group of tourists experiencing the northern lights for the first time.

“I was out east of Saskatoon one night and at the other side of this pond there was a car load of about a dozen people and I couldn’t understand what they were saying,” Yaworski told CTV News.

What he did understand was the sheer wonder those tourists experienced, and it made Yaworski stop and pause, put down his camera and enjoy the show.

This is an exciting time for enthusiasts of the aurora borealis as the sun heads into an eleven-year cycle, creating perfect conditions.

“We’re going into what’s known as solar maximum. It’s where the sun is going from very little activity to a lot of activity,” he says.

Colin Chatfield started the Saskatchewan Aurora Hunters Facebook page about seven years ago and over the years it’s grown to over 40,000 followers.

“It kind of created a monster in a way because everyone’s doing it,” Chatfield said. 

In recent years, stunning images of the aurora borealis have surfaced, partly due to social media but also because fancy cameras and elaborate equipment are not entirely necessary to capture it.

“Everyone’s walking around with smart phones, and we’ve seen such an increase in the quality of the images of the smart phones that you can get some amazing images,” according to Yaworski.

There are sceptics following the Facebook page who say that the photos are doctored, but according to Chatfield and Yaworski, that’s not always the case. Both explain that the naked eye cannot see the colours as well as a phone or camera so when the posted photos look extremely vibrant or dynamic, it’s because the technology is able to capture it more effectively than the eye.

Aurora borealis tourism has people travelling from down south to catch a glimpse of the dancing lights. 

Chatfield says there is one question he gets in particular he hears from tourists.

“People want to know specific locations. Where is it? It doesn’t matter. Just go down the road safely. Pull off on a grid road. Not on a farmer’s approach or yard. Then just sit there. Turn your lights off,” Chatfield said.

There are also many apps that are designed to predict when and where the lights are visible on given days but, like the weather, predicating them isn’t always exact Yaworski says.

The free show extends to 2025 so you have a few years to catch it.

Find Yaworski’s photos on Twitter and Instagram: @livingskyguy