Well, this is embarrassing. Looks like I finally cursed at Starlink enough that I managed to open up some kind of portal in VLEO right over my barn. Sorry everybody! I promise I'll help clean up.
More portal pictures for good measure. Though I suppose I should be careful not to give the techbros any more ideas about awful things to put in orbit...
(Everyone knows I'm kidding, right? I'm not pulling an Avi Loeb here. Auroras are AWESOME.)
Sky's back to normal, guys! I'm hopeful the portal sucked up at least a few Starlinks and abandoned rocket bodies before it closed, though. I'll try again tonight!
I just had a local radio interview about the incredible auroras we've had the last 2 nights, and the host started asking me about 3I/ATLAS! Fortunately not in a conspiracy theory kind of way, just in a "hey I've got an astronomer on, time to ask questions" and he didn't tie 3I to the auroras.... But I'm still going to throw some blame at @AkaSci for suggesting this!!
It took me until more than halfway through day 2 of ridiculous auroras to realize why my neck is all messed up today.
Looking less likely for auroras tonight. Which is ok I suppose... I need to sleep more tonight!
Leave it!!! It can suck that garbage straight out of this dimension.
@sundogplanets Never stop cursing Starlink! (And I love your post and photo!)
@sundogplanets Gorgeous pictures
On a side issue do you know if this geomagnetic storm is having any effect on the thousands of Starlink satellites ?
Part of me is hoping yes
Another part is reminding me I'm underneath the damn things
@sundogplanets
What's the probability that the auroras would appear just after 3I/ATLAS emerged from behind the Sun?
Those are very strange shapes, we should ask NASA and ESA to quickly decode the hidden messages in them.
Are these auroras distractions so that we do not notice the strange maneuvers conducted by 3I/ATLAS?
The red color is a warning. Will we heed it?
Didn't you feel tonight that you were being watched? 👽
Inquiring minds want to know.
AL
@AkaSci @sundogplanets My god, it’s so obvious now…!
@AkaSci If I get an interview request for 3I and auroras tomorrow, I'm 100% blaming you! 😀
@AkaSci @sundogplanets Oh, I needed this! Thank you!
@AkaSci @sundogplanets That last one looks like an avenging angel 😬
@sundogplanets portals in orbit… if satellites had portals on them (like from the game), maybe we wouldn’t have to worry so much about collisions.
Obviously we can’t do that, but I’d kindof like to know what the video game would be like
@sundogplanets Wow!!!!
@sundogplanets That last one looks downright Satanic! 😱
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social
Sadly, while we don't have clouds. tonight, there's a thin haze that seems to be mostly blocking things out
Nov 13, 2025, 5:25 AM@sundogplanets oh my gosh these photos are amazing
@sundogplanets Nah, that's a phoenix!
Very Ghostbusters climax...but real! Awesome!
@sundogplanets Spectacular! Thank you for sharing. 😊
@sundogplanets Keep on fighting. And develop a method of sucking up mirrors.
@sundogplanets I couldn’t believe I got aurora all the way down here in Texas.
Wow, nice! @MissConstrue Unfortunately, we had too many clouds here in Maine. @sundogplanets
@sundogplanets @AkaSci So why do you think the aliens controlling 3I/ATLAS triggered such an impressive aurora display? Are there messages encoded in the lights and we just aren't advanced enough to understand them?
@theotherbrook @sundogplanets @AkaSci
You joke.
But I have gotten spam from people who pretend that "comets are actually aurora".
@michael_w_busch @theotherbrook @AkaSci I got one saying that Starlink satellites are actually holograms from NASA. Satan was also involved somehow. But I haven't gotten the comets=auroras one!
@sundogplanets @michael_w_busch @AkaSci Holograms from NASA is my new band name.
Nov 13, 2025, 7:57 PMmap of solar eclipse overlaid with google searches for “eyes hurt” dot jaypeg
No auroras around here, and my neck is doing fine, thank you very much.
I would not mind it being a little sore, to be honest. 😉
@sundogplanets jealous....
@sundogplanets The birds in my back yard want to know who is shuffling through the dead leaves at 10pm ...taking pictures with his phone!
@sundogplanets Weather here is a thick layer of haha you thought you were going to see an Aurora clouds.
You'd think that I'd feel slightly ripped off by the sky since I did not get to see the auroras (unlike, you know, Mexico), but amateur astronomy teaches one a zen-like stoicism about accepting the weather the universe gives you.
@sundogplanets Oh you mean "When it's finally clearer for Challis, it is now much less likely!" *woe* (one day, one day I'll see it!)
Nov 13, 2025, 10:08 PM@sundogplanets Hi Sam, do you have videos so we all can get twisted necks watching the show?
@ai6yr @sundogplanets I nominate Sol Invictus for <DEITY>: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Invictus
@sundogplanets holy bajoley.
@sundogplanets Wow!
These folks are on standby if you need help.
@sundogplanets Need a volunteer to go through the portal?
@sundogplanets It looks really beautiful!
@sundogplanets clean up? Heck naw, I’m packing my go bag let’s see what’s IN there!
@sundogplanets pareidolia says that’s a ghost/demon holding a red staff in its right hand!
@sundogplanets never stop posting! 🤣
@sundogplanets I think this might warrant a call to the Laundry, @cstross how big a deal is this one on a scale of imp to NIGHTMARE GREEN?
@sundogplanets Spacecraft keeps falling on you, last time it was debris, now it's the monolith…
@sundogplanets @quixoticgeek You’ve made Our Dread Lord Elon angry !
Looking back on this from the future, this is still such an incredible pic of the aurora.
@sundogplanets OMG one in a million shot. congrats!
@sundogplanets @crispius A portal sounds pretty good right now.
@sundogplanets very cool. Is that a long camera exposure or can you also see that with the naked eye?
@CStamp This storm was easily naked-eye visible, across the entire sky. It was wild.
@sundogplanets Wow.
@sundogplanets Nice portal.
