On November 7th, 2004, there was a great display of the "Northern Lights". These are the results of charged particles arriving from the sun and hitting the upper atmosphere. The effects are limited to "polar" regions as the earth's magnetic field pushes the particles towards the poles. The stronger the stream of particles, the further towards the equator the effect becomes visible.
These photos were taken out the front windows of my home, starting about 10:30PM, and lasting until after midnight. This was the first aurora I had seen in the 16 years I have lived in Seattle, and it was quite amazing.
Note that these photos have been "enhanced". Basically the contrast and brightness have been adjusted to emphasise the coloured lights.
An early photo, before the camera location was properly set. Hence, the line across the bottom - part of the window!
Still getting the position correct - with another part of the window in view.
Ah, that's a better view! I believe all the lighted areas in the sky are part of the aurora.
While there was still some activity after this, it was fading out, and heading south. Just like me!