A flight across the Atlantic turned into an unforgettable experience for one lucky woman who was treated to a mesmerizing display of the northern lights from her plane window, while others appeared blissfully unaware.
The spectacular scene was captured by Chloë Chapdelaine, a 26-year-old photographer and content creator from Calgary, Canada, who shared a video of it on her TikTok account (@chloe.chapdelaine). The clip, which has garnered over 12,300 views since it was posted on October 10, shows Chapdelaine seated on a plane, marveling at the bright green and purple auroras dancing across the night sky.
"The northern lights are starting to happen," she says in the video, describing the experience as "the most insane flight of my life … I still can't get over it!" in the caption of the post.
Chapdelaine captured the northern lights while flying from Calgary to Frankfurt, Germany, in the first week of October. She was on her way to Thessaloniki, Greece, to spend time with her husband, who is a professional volleyball player, the poster told Newsweek.
The extraordinary plane sighting comes in a year when the northern lights could be spotted from areas of the world where they are normally not seen.
Scientists have said 2024 may see the strongest northern lights activity in the past 20 years as well as the decade to come due to high solar activity. This was forecast to peak between January and October this year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Stronger solar cycles produce more solar storms with greater intensity, which drives geomagnetic activity. "If the geomagnetic field is active, then the aurora will be brighter and further from the poles," where the northern lights are usually most visible. This means that the aurora borealis may be viewed from lower latitudes than usual this year.
The NOAA says: "When space weather activity increases and more frequent and larger storms and substorms occur, the aurora extends equatorward. During large events, the aurora can be observed as far south as the U.S., Europe and Asia."
Chapdelaine told Newsweek that she had seen the northern lights the night before in Calgary during a particularly intense solar storm. "For the first time in my entire life, I was able to hear them," she said. With that recent experience in mind, she kept a close eye out during the flight.
"I noticed them starting to happen a couple of hours into the flight, just after our first meal," Chapdelaine said. Initially, the cabin lights made it difficult to see the auroras clearly, but once the lights were turned off, the display became vividly visible. "I believe they were the strongest as I flew over Greenland," she added.
What made the experience surreal was the apparent lack of awareness among other passengers. Chapdelaine was surprised that the flight attendants made no announcement to inform passengers about the rare display.
Despite the incredible show unfolding outside, most people remained focused on their meals or had closed their window shades to sleep. "I didn't see a single person looking out their window," Chapdelaine said. "It felt like the entire plane was unaware it was happening."
"I couldn't believe that there wasn't anyone looking out the window as the show appeared; it was truly amazing," Chapdelaine added, noting that she did point out the phenomenon to the woman seated beside her, who seemed grateful to witness it.
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