A Vancouver man is sharing a breathtaking perspective of the aurora borealis he snapped on a flight headed back to the city.
Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Communications Manager Victor Young was travelling to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) on a Lynx Air flight that left Toronto's Lester B. Pearson Airport (YYZ) on Sunday, July 3.
Around 1 a.m. on Monday, Young spotted "what looked like a silvery cloud to the north" while he was looking out the window," he tells Vancouver Is Awesome.
And while he'd never seen the northern lights before, he "knew that they don’t look green to the naked eye" and used his phone to bring out its trademark green hues.
"The long exposure on my phone was key to getting a good picture and I have a camera reel full of failed attempts before I got it just right," he tells Vancouver Is Awesome.
The Vancouverite said he observed the dancing lights at "varying degrees, for well over an hour," adding that it was "a surreal experience" trying to contain his excitement seeing them for the first time while surrounded by a couple of hundred people "who had no idea what was just outside the window."
"At the risk of waxing poetic, it felt providential to see one of the most iconic natural wonders Canada has to offer on Canada Day long weekend!"
Viewing the northern lights in Canada
Another Vancouverite captured a spellbinding perspective of the northern lights outside of a plane in November 2021.
The image shows a vibrant green glow in the sky above the sparkle of city lights below. The plane's red wing is also featured with WestJet.com written on the edge.
Metro Vancouverites hoping to observe dancing lights in the heavens may want to keep their eyes on a handy online tool. Find out more information about when and where you can see them.
