Stargazers caught sight of the Northern Lights at Windy Hill, Byxbee Park

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At Windy Hill in Portola Valley, nearly 100 stargazers gathered for the rare chance to see the northern lights in the Bay Area on Friday and Saturday nights. Though the lights were faint to the naked eye, they were very visible through camera lenses. 

“It’s kind of surreal, I never thought I would be able to see them at home,” said Kyra Niyogi, a Mountain View resident who ventured to the top of Windy Hill to see the aurora borealis. “It’s definitely something that I’ve wanted to see for a long time.”

“It’s just amazing,” said another local resident, Kiana Zah. “Last February we had the snow up on Skyline which was crazy, and now this year we have the aurora! It’s so cool that we had both of those things in the last few years.”

Skyline Boulevard, which is usually fairly quiet after sunset, was packed with cars as people sought to find a place away from the city lights to see the aurora. A reader witnessed the lights over the Baylands in Palo Alto, photographing them from Byxbee Park around midnight.

“Well, it’s pretty special. You know, seeing them in California is so cool. I mean, I’ve probably seen the northern lights 50 times now, but it’s so special every time, and even more special at home,” said Eugene Beh, a Menlo Park resident and amateur aurora enthusiast. 

Beh explained that this unique occurrence was due to a powerful solar storm that hit the Earth. The northern lights are only visible this far south every 10 to 20 years.