Calgary Witnesses Rare Red Aurora Over City
Calgary witnessed a truly spectacular and unusual celestial event on November 11, 2025, as the aurora borealis painted the night sky with brilliant red hues, visible even amidst the city's pervasive light pollution. This dazzling display captivated onlookers, standing out from the more common green or purple Northern Lights typically seen.
The rarity of such an intense red aurora, especially over a brightly lit urban centre like Calgary, makes this event particularly noteworthy. Alberta-based weather specialist Kyle Brittain, widely known as "Bad Weather Kyle," explained that these striking red auroras result from the interaction of solar particles with high-altitude oxygen, a phenomenon far less frequent and often harder to discern from southern latitudes.
Calgarians have a long-standing appreciation for celestial wonders, with a strong astronomy community, including the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Calgary Centre and the University of Calgary's Rothney Astrophysical Observatory, which frequently hosts public events to encourage stargazing. Recent aurora sightings have often generated significant community excitement, filling social media with photos and discussions. While efforts are underway to create "Dark Sky Country" corridors in areas surrounding the city to preserve the night sky, the sheer visibility of this rare red aurora within Calgary’s urban environment underscores nature’s power to surprise and enthrall, even where light pollution usually diminishes such spectacles.
This unexpected light show serves as a vivid reminder of the universe's unpredictable beauty, drawing the gaze of Calgarians upward and reinforcing the profound connection many feel to the wonders of our night sky.
