Why does the aurora borealis appear to be white in the sky but in pictures it has nice coloration?

andrewta@lemmy.world to Asklemmy@lemmy.ml – 64 points –
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The red parts are rarer and harder to see. Especially with the naked eye.

The red parts were very visible last night, and I found their colour much easier to see with the naked eye than the green parts ever are.

At which latitude are you situated?

59°N, northern Scotland.

Thank you! What's it like normally where you live? What colors are the Arora normally?

I would usually describe it as grey. There have been a few times where a sunset or the moon have provided some contrast, causing the greenness to become slightly noticeable. Last night was the first time I've seen such an obvious pink.

Sadly it doesn't get dark enough here at this time of year, so my family down south had a better view.