Photographer in Canada captures ‘beautiful northern lights show’ after wildfire smoke clears

CANADA - A photographer, based in Canada, managed to capture a mesmerizing green glow of an aurora borealis Sunday after smoke from recent wildfires dissipated. 

The footage, captured by RJ Roldan, shows the aurora borealis over South Indian Lake in the early hours of May 21. The video showcases the vivid green northern lights flowing across the clear Manitoba sky.

Roldan told Storyful that recent days have posed challenges for aurora viewing due to the smoke blanketing the skies from an outbreak of wildfires.

"The smoke was finally pushed in giving us a clear view of the night sky and gave us an opportunity to watch the night spectacle – the beautiful northern lights show," he said.

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According to the latest update by the Manitoba Wildfire Services, wildfire danger across southern Manitoba is moderate to high throughout the province. There were 14 active wildfires in the province as of May 17.

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The agency said it is actively working to suppress multiple fires utilizing ground crews and aircraft.

According to space.com, the northern lights, or the aurora borealis, are energized particles from the sun that slam into Earth's upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million mph, but our planet's magnetic field protects us from the onslaught. 

As Earth’s magnetic field redirects the particles toward the pole,  the dramatic process transforms into a cinematic atmospheric phenomenon that dazzles and fascinates skywatchers. 

This story was reported from Los Angeles. Storyful contributed.