Michigan Dark Sky Watch: Rockport State Recreation Area

Posted on by farlane
Rockport Recreation Area by SG Captures

Rockport Recreation Area by SG Captures

Sometimes I start projects and stick with them like cataloging the waterfalls of the Great Lakes State, profiling all of Michigans turtles, or finding Michigan’s tallest things. Many other times, I start them, see a squirrel, and promptly forget about them. Such is the case with an idea one of Sarah’s photos sparked 4 years ago today to profile all six of Michigan Dark Sky Preserves & our two Dark Sky Parks. Now there’s even an entire Dark Sky Island so let’s get busy!

Visit Alpena shares that Rockport State Recreation Area in northeast Michigan’s Presque Isle County was Michiganโ€™s 100th State park and holds a variety of terrain and unique geologic, historic, and natural elements. They also share:

Rural isolation has its benefits. Being miles away from any major metropolitan area gives northeast Michigan an unique advantage for those who enjoy the mysteries revealed in the night sky. Our lack of concentrated light pollution makes the cosmos appear crisp and clear. Dark lands can be found at Rockport State Park Recreation Area where light emissions are among the lowest in the Great Lakes. Stars, meteors, planets and moons await your discovery.

More about Rockport Recreation Area and Michigan Dark Sky Parks, Preserves & Sanctuaries from the State of Michigan.

Sarah is a Michigan State Parks Photo Ambassador which seems like a very cool thing to be. You should definitelyย check out her websiteย where you can view & purchase her work as well as herย Facebookย &ย sg.captures on Instagram!

Dark Skies at Rockport Recreation Area by SG Captures

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

It’s not your imagination: Meteors & fireballs are bigger this year

Posted on by farlane
Meteor Strike? by Matt Kazmierski

Meteor Strike? by Matt Kazmierski

The first quarter of 2026 has produced a significant surge in large fireball events, and the American Meteor Society says that the data shows a pattern that warrants serious investigation. This article is for sure wonky but the topline takeaway is that more sightings seen by more people, especially those accompanied by sonic booms mean bigger objects:

The AMS fireball reporting system has been in continuous operation since 2005 and reached maturity around 2016โ€“2018, with annual Q1 event totals stabilizing in the range of 1,100โ€“1,400 events. What follows is an analysis of Q1 data from 2011โ€“2026, with particular attention to the 2021โ€“2026 window where the reporting platform has been fully stable.

The most important finding from our analysis is that the total number of fireball events is not dramatically unusual. Q1 2026โ€™s 2,046 total events is the highest on record but only marginally above 2022 (2,037) and 2021 (1,947). If this were simply a matter of more people filing reports, we would expect a proportional increase across all witness-count thresholds. That is not what we see.

…At the 25+ report threshold, 2026 has produced 61 events versus a 2021โ€“2025 average of roughly 43โ€”up about 42%. At 50+ reports, 2026 has 38 events versus an average of 18โ€”more than double. And at 100+, the count of 14 is twice the average of 7. The signal gets stronger as the threshold rises, which is the hallmark of a genuine physical change in the incoming material, not a reporting artifact.

…If the fireballs were simply being seen by more people due to favorable conditions, we would not expect changes in the physical characteristics reported by witnesses. But the data shows an elevated rate of delayed sound reportsโ€”sonic booms reaching the groundโ€”which requires objects that penetrate deep enough into the atmosphere to produce pressure waves.

You can (and should) read on for lots more if you are interested!

Matt shared this photo back in 2018 & says he was just kidding about the “meteor strike” part ๐Ÿ˜‰ Check out his showcase on Flickr for more.

Here’s a video of a November 4, 2026 fireball captured from multiple weather cams on the Michigan Storm Chasers network.

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

Lyrid Meteor Shower and the dust of Comet Thatcher

Posted on by farlane
Lyrid Star Trails by Daniel Frei

Lyrid Star Trails by Daniel Frei

SpaceWeather.com is one of my go-to sources for information about what’s going on up there, and they explain that what’s going TONIGHT is the peak of the annual Lyrid Meteor Shower:

Every year in late April Earth passes through the dusty tail of Comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1, named by A.E. Thatcher in 1861), and the encounter causes a meteor shower–the Lyrids. This year the shower peaks on Saturday night, April 21st. Forecasters expect 10 to 20 meteors per hour, although outbursts as high as 100 meteors per hour are possible.

Lyrid meteors appear to stream from the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra. In fact, Lyrids have nothing to do with Vega. The true source of the shower is Comet Thatcher. Every year in April, Earth plows through Thatcher’s dusty tail. Flakes of comet dust, most no bigger than grains of sand, strike Earth’s atmosphere traveling 49 km/s (110,000 mph) and disintegrate as streaks of light.

Lyrid meteors are typically as bright as the stars in the Big Dipper, which is to say of middling brightness. But some are more intense, even brighter than Venus. These “Lyrid fireballs” cast shadows for a split second and leave behind smokey debris trails that linger for minutes. Occasionally, the shower intensifies. Most years in April there are no more than 5 to 20 meteors per hour during the shower’s peak. But sometimes, when Earth glides through an unusually dense clump of comet debris, the rate increases.

Our friends at EarthSky share that the pre-dawn hours of April 22nd are best to see the Lyrid Meteor Shower & they also have info about catching a last glimpse of Comet Panstarrs.

Daniel took this photo back in April of 2013 and shares “I went out in an attempt to catch some meteors from the Lyrid Meteor shower. I was very unlucky and didn’t catch any. My methodology for shooting the meteors is to just find a composition and set it up to take as many 30 second exposures that I am willing to wait through. In this case, 182 exposures. This way if I don’t catch a meteor, I still get some star trails to show off.” See more in his Moon & Stars gallery on Flickr and view & purchase his work on his website.

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

Will Summer 2026 (and El Niรฑo) bring more barefoot aurora?

Posted on by farlane
Barefoot Aurora by Lake Superior Photo๏ปฟ

Barefoot Aurora by Lake Superior Photo

The weather has been getting a lot of (justifiable) bad press lately so I figured I’d try and put a little positive spin on news shared by Michigan Public that NOAA is forecasting a potentially strong El Niรฑo weather pattern developing for Michigan this summer:

“Even though the evidence is still early, this could be a very significant event in 2026 and lingering into 2027,” says Daniel Swain, climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.

A strong El Niรฑo would drive up average global temperatures. The hottest years on record generally occur in years when El Niรฑo is active, because El Niรฑo occurs when the Eastern Pacific is hotter than usual. “Its function in the global earth system is to release heat from the deeper oceans that has been temporarily stored there,” Swain says. “El Niรฑo allows that subducted heat to be unearthed.”

That dynamic played out in a big way in 2023 and 2024, when a long, strong El Niรฑo pattern helped shatter global temperature records. 2023 smashed the record for the hottest year ever recorded on Earth, only to be surpassed by temperatures in 2024.

Last week Shawn shared this photo saying that she’s eagerly anticipating the return of nights watching the aurora barefoot so it looks like El Niรฑo is gonna help with that. You can see lots more amazing photos from Lake Superior Photo on Facebook. You can also visit the Lake Superior Photo website to view & purchase photos and for information about their Marquette gallery along with photography workshops, tours, and guiding.

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

NASA wants a Moon base

Posted on by farlane
Airplane passing the moon by Saad M.N.B.

Airplane passing the moon by Saad M.N.B.

Our friends at EarthSky share details on news that NASA is prioritizing the development of a moon base within 5 years:

The announcements build on recent updates to the Artemis program. Artemis 2 will carry a human crew around the moon and back. It might launch as soon as early April. The new initiatives include standardizing the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket configuration and to add an additional mission in 2027. Plus it plans on undertaking at least one surface landing every year thereafter.

Additionally, Artemis 3 โ€“ scheduled for 2027 โ€“ will focus on testing integrated systems and operational capabilities in Earth orbit. That will be in advance of the Artemis 4 lunar landing. Looking beyond Artemis 5, NASA will begin to incorporate more commercially procured and reusable hardware to undertake frequent and affordable crewed missions to the lunar surface. Plus, NASA will initially target landings every six months, with the potential to increase cadence as capabilities mature.

To achieve a lasting human presence on the moon, NASA also announced a phased approach to building a lunar base. As part of this strategy, the agency intends to pause Gateway in its current form and shift focus to infrastructure that enables sustained surface operations. Despite challenges with some existing hardware, the agency will repurpose applicable equipment and leverage international partner commitments to support these objectives.

The photographer shared this back in 2018. Head over to their Flickr for more great shots!

EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd has an interview with space journalist Eric Berger of Ars Technica. Berger explains the peak-risk moments of the upcoming 10-day Artemisโ€ฏ 2 mission & gives an insider’s look at the changes announced on February 27 for the Artemis program.

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

See the March 3rd Blood Moon Eclipse in Michigan

Posted on by farlane
Blood Moon over Grand Haven by Randy Riksen Photography

Blood Moon over Grand Haven by Randy Riksen Photography

The Detroit Free Press shares that Michigan’s chances of viewing the “Blood Moon” eclipse early tomorrow morning will depend on the weather:

The “blood moon” eclipse takes place during March’s full moon, which will occur in the early morning of Tuesday, March 3. The full moon’s peak and eclipse’s totality to coincide at 6:38 a.m., according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Clear skies permitting, the Worm Moon could be visible for part of the eclipse in Michigan, with the moon to set for local viewers during totality.

Our friends over at EarthSky explain that total eclipses can turn the moon a deep shade of red, and have lots more detail about viewing. They explain why this eclipse called a Blood Moon eclipse and that the shade of red on the moon will depend mostly on whatโ€™s happening in Earthโ€™s atmosphere at the moment of the eclipse.

Randy took this photo of the October 2014 total lunar eclipse over the Grand Haven South Pierhead Lighthouse and says that keeping the camera still enough in the howling wind was a chore in itself!! View & purchase his work including some killer fishing photos on his website.

Lots more solar & lunar eclipse photos on Michigan in Pictures!

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

Why last night’s northern lights were underwhelming

Posted on by farlane
Throwback to Nov 12 2025 by Watermark Photography

Throwback to Nov 12 2025 by Watermark Photography

It’s very rare that we have aurora alerts at the G4 storm level and rarer still that they disappoint so northern lights aficionados were pretty excited about the kP8/G4 Aurora Alert was issued for last night. While hopes were high & some good shots were taken, the actual output was surprisingly muted & short-lived. Our friends at EarthSky explain that this was due to the arrangement of the CMEโ€™s magnetic field limiting how much energy actually reached Earthโ€™s atmosphere & shaping which regions saw auroras and which did not.

During the CMEโ€™s initial impact phase, the Bz briefly dipped strongly southward. So that allowed solar wind energy to flow efficiently into Earthโ€™s magnetic field. This short-lived interaction quickly caused G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm levels, with Kp (another measure of Earthโ€™s magnetic disturbance) exceeding 8.

Soon after the initial impact, the character of the severe geomagnetic storm changed dramatically. As Earth moved deeper into the core of the CME, the Bz โ€“ again, the orientation of the sunโ€™s magnetic field โ€“ turned strongly northward. This sustained northward orientation sharply limited the transfer of transfer into Earthโ€™s magnetosphere. And that was what restricted the auroras, despite the overall strength of the storm.

Jeff took this photo from Elberta Pier back in November of 2025 on a night the lights definitely did not disappoint! Follow Watermark Photography on Facebook and see more great shots in the A Little Night Music gallery on his website.

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

Testing the lights on the Gordie Howe Bridge

Posted on by farlane
Testing the lights on Gordie Howe International Bridge

The Gordie Howe International Bridge shares an interesting article & video on their ongoing Aesthetic Lighting Testing than 6,000 programmable, energy-efficient white LED fixtures have been installed across the bridge towers, stay cables, back span, piers, approach span and bridge deck. Each fixture is designed to last more than 100,000 hours with linear lights having the longest lifespan lasting up to 280,000 hours (10 to 30 years!).

Check out the video below along with some nighttime photos shared by the Bridge Authority, and see lots more about the Gordie Howe Bridge on Michigan in Pictures!

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

Merry Christmas from Michigan in Pictures!

Posted on by farlane
Fishtown Christmas by Michigan Nut Photography

Fishtown Christmas by Michigan Nut Photography

I’d like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas & happy holiday season that brings you and those you love as much magic & love as possible. The two photos below are from Fishtown Preservation, and I encourage you to support them in their work preserving this iconic Michigan location if you can!

I’ve been waiting to post this photo since the moment John shared it exactly one year ago today! Head on over to the Michigan Nut Facebook to give him a like, check out his calendars as possible gifts, and for sure check out the Northern Lights & Night Skies gallery on his website to view & purchase this and other fantastic photos!

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

Here comes the colorful Geminid Meteor Shower!

Posted on by farlane
Aurora & Meteor by Ross Ellet

Aurora & Meteor by Ross Ellet

National Geographic shares that the Geminid Meteor Shower is known for bright & colorful shooting stars and will peak this Saturday night (December 13):

Under perfect viewing conditions, the Geminids deliver up to 120 meteors per hour, though factors like light pollution and atmospheric conditions can reduce that number. But unlike most meteor showers, the Geminids donโ€™t come from a comet. Theyโ€™re created by debris from 3200 Phaethon, a strange asteroid that brightens and grows a faint tail, helping make this shower especially bright.

Most meteor showers occur when Earth passes through debris trails shed by orbiting cometsโ€” the bits of ice and dust burn up in our atmosphere, producing shooting stars. Conceptually, the same process creates the Geminids. But instead of passing through a cometโ€™s tail, Earth passes through the trail of Phaethon 3200, which sheds larger, tougher, and rockier debris than comets.

โ€œThis material is larger on average and survives further into our atmosphere and tends to produce brighter meteors,โ€ says Rubert Lunsford, the journal editor of the American Meteor Society. Phaethon 3200โ€™s debris also contains more metal. โ€œWhen these metals are heated during the passage through our atmosphere, they produce colors associated with each type of metal,โ€ he adds. Calcium and silicon produce orange; iron and sodium produce yellow; nickel produces green; and magnesium produces blue.

As an added bonus, we have a pretty active solar situation making bonus northern lights a definite possibility. Ross took this back in September of 2014 in the Porcupine Mountains backcountry. See many more amazing shows in his incredible Aurora gallery on Flickr.

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon