On Oct. 11, members of the C. J. Hooker Middle School’s astronomy club gathered at Scotchtown Avenue Elementary School to witness aurora borealis, or the northern lights. This atmospheric phenomenon is mainly seen in areas of high latitudes but have been visible in the region — the result of a powerful solar storm that slammed into Earth, triggering the aurora to light up night skies father out.
According to Club Advisor Michael LaMonica, more than 20 students and parents joined to view the purple and green glow of the northern lights, an unusual sight for a location this far south. They studied constellations and viewed the craters of the moon and the rings of Saturn through a telescope.
