11-year sun cycle energizes northern lights in Saskatchewan

The northern lights have become a big star on social media.

"It's really dark and the weather has been so great," said Kathryn McWilliams at the University of Saskatchewan's Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies.  

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"The aurora is just so beautiful and mesmerizing that it kind of sells itself, we don't have to do much publicity to get people out and interested in it but it is so nice to see people sharing it and to see the excitement."

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Stunning lights in the dark Prairie sky are wowing people in Saskatchewan and they have been sharing their awe inspiring photos on social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  

"Now we are in an age of social media so it's so much easier to know that they are on and it's easy to tweet the photos," said McWilliams.

Given the vast array of stunning photos of the colourful night sky, it would be easy to assume that we have somehow eased into a period of hyper activity. It's true, said McWilliams, that every 11 years or so the sun cycle peaks and energizes the northern lights.

"It's the weakest one we've seen in the Space Age...but the awareness of it is so much more and now there are services you can sign up to and they will send you an e-mail and tell you go outside and look for the Aurora."