“…Darkness finally returns to Alaska in mid-September, bringing calm autumn skies and windless nights, a harbinger of the winter season ahead.  Without warning, multiple curtains of powerful aurora cascade down to the edge of space, bending over the northern horizon and sweeping across the starfields like transparent sheets of silk.  Most of the people of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley sleep through the 3:00 am spectacle, completely unaware of the amazing dance unfolding above.  The glassy pond doubles the grand scene, mirroring its sweet light.  Occasionally during the stunning display, several Great Horned Owls hoot back and forth to one another, as they hunt in winged silence over the massive river delta lit by aurora…”