“Masterpiece”
© 2001
“…Through the last days of March, across the entire world, untold thousands of people were treated to once-in-a-lifetime displays of multicolored aurora. The auroral ovals, which are normally surrounding the Polar Regions, grew and expanded equatorward, causing exquisite auroras to dance across the night in far southerly countries where it is rarely seen. This left Alaska in the center of the oval, with a brief spectacular view at evening twilight as the aurora raced over the southern horizon and vanished out of view for several hours. By 2:30 am, a soft orange-red glow began to show low to the south. Ten minutes later the glow turned crimson and began to return to Alaska once again. At 3:00 am, the star-studded skies over Denali (Mt. McKinley) and the western Alaska Range exploded in the rarest of colors. The grand wall expanded northward, standing hundreds of miles above the earth, casting its red sweet light on the snow. The moon, setting like a delicate pearl amid the stunning scene, throws light and shadows across the Chulitna River, adding another dimension to the masterpiece…”