The Gordie Howe Bridge will be opening…

Posted on by farlane

Gordie Gets Lit!! by Windsor Aerial Drone Photography

This Canadian Broadcasting Company article on issues surrounding the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge makes it pretty clear that the problem with opening the bridge is the problem with a whole of things these days:

For months, Canadian officials have maintained that the long-awaited opening of the $6.4 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ont., is dependent on various testing and commissioning tasks.

But fresh comments from a Canadian cabinet member as well as two top U.S. officials suggests there is a link between the current trade war and the new border crossing’s opening timeline. A White House official on Friday said the Trump administration “continues to engage with all of our trading partners to resolve longstanding unfair trade practices.”

…Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said in a statement Friday that “[d]iscussions on the Gordie Howe Bridge continue.” CBC News had asked his office similar questions about the bridge’s opening and whether it’s tied to broader trade talks. Earlier this month, Hoekstra reportedly said that Trump himself has to sign off on the opening. “There’s a lot of issues right now between the U.S. and Canada. The bridge is one more,” he told the Detroit News.

Windsor Aerial Drone Photography shared these photos & the video below from the first lighting of the Gordie Howe Bridge on September 18, 2025. Follow them on Facebook for their latest and view & purchase their work at windsoraerialdronephotography.com.

Lots more of the gorgeous Gordie Howe International Bridge on Michigan in Pictures!

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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 Michigan’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 definitely check out her website where you can view & purchase her work as well as her Facebook & sg.captures on Instagram!

Dark Skies at Rockport Recreation Area by SG Captures

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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 2016–2018, with annual Q1 event totals stabilizing in the range of 1,100–1,400 events. What follows is an analysis of Q1 data from 2011–2026, with particular attention to the 2021–2026 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 2026’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 2021–2025 average of roughly 43—up about 42%. At 50+ reports, 2026 has 38 events versus an average of 18—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 reports—sonic booms reaching the ground—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 😉 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.

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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.

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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 what’s happening in Earth’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!

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Michigan athletes bound for the Winter Olympics!

Posted on by farlane
Winter by Kevin Ryan

Winter by Kevin Ryan

CBS Detroit reports that there will be 17 Olympians from Michigan on Team USA out of the nearly 230 athletes we’re sending to Milan-Cortina, Italy. Athletes range from old timers like 5-time Olympian & gold medalist Nick Baumgartner or dual gold medal winning freestyle skier Kaila Kuhn to Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin to first time hopefuls. Best of luck to all these Team USA athletes!

  • Evan Bates, 36, Ann Arbor, Ice Dancing
  • Nick Baumgartner, 44, Iron River
  • Christina Carreira, 25, St. Clair, Ice Dancing
  • Madison Chock, 33, Redondo Beach, California, Ice Dancing
  • Kyle Connor, 29, Shelby Township, Ice Hockey
  • Connor Hellebuyck, 32, Commerce Township, Ice Hockey
  • Jack Hughes, 24, Canton, Ice Hockey
  • Quinn Hughes, 26, Canton, Ice Hockey
  • Megan Keller, 29, Farmington Hills, Ice Hockey
  • Vadym Kolesnik, 24, Novi, Ice Dancing
  • Kaila Kuhn, 22, Boyne City, Freestyle Skiing
  • Dylan Larkin, 29, Waterford Township, Ice Hockey
  • Kirsten Simms, 21, Plymouth, Ice Hockey
  • Jake Vedder, 27, Pickney, Snowboarding
  • Winter Vinecki, 27, Gaylord, Freestyle Skiing
  • Zach Werenski, 28, Grosse Pointe Woods, Ice Hockey
  • Emilea Zingas, 23, Grosse Pointe Farms, Ice Dancing

Kevin shared these photos from Mulligan’s Hollow in Grand Haven way back in 2010. Check out his Sports gallery on Flickr for lots more great shots!

UFO by Kevin Ryan
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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 CME’s magnetic field limiting how much energy actually reached Earth’s atmosphere & shaping which regions saw auroras and which did not.

During the CME’s initial impact phase, the Bz briefly dipped strongly southward. So that allowed solar wind energy to flow efficiently into Earth’s magnetic field. This short-lived interaction quickly caused G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm levels, with Kp (another measure of Earth’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 – again, the orientation of the sun’s magnetic field – turned strongly northward. This sustained northward orientation sharply limited the transfer of transfer into Earth’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.

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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!

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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!

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That Super Beaver Moon is actually a Super Hunter’s Moon

Posted on by farlane
Lake Huron Moonshine by kare hav

Lake Huron Moonshine by kare hav

I got a lot of enjoyment from walking around the house yesterday saying “Super Beaver Moon” so it is with sadness & regret I share that EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd explains that if a full moon of November falls after November 7, it’s the Beaver Moon but if it’s before the 7th, it’s the Hunter’s Moon. Deborah writes:

Nature is particularly cooperative around the time of the autumnal equinox to make the fall full moonrises special. On average, the moon rises about 50 minutes later each day. But when a full moon happens close to the autumnal equinox – either a Harvest or a Hunter’s Moon – the moon (at mid-northern latitudes) rises about 30 minutes later daily for several days before and after the full moon … The result is that there’s a short-than-usual lag time between successive moonrises around the Hunter’s Moon adding to the brightness of evening twilight.

The moon has for sure been looking huge when it’s risen the last couple of nights! To add to the fun, EarthSky shares that the South Taurid & North Taurid meteor showers are both happening right now! While they aren’t a very active shower with just 5-10 meteors per hour, they can produce really intense fireballs like this one from Monday night over Glen Lake in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

This moon is neither Hunter nor Beaver: it’s the August 2020 Sturgeon Moon as seen over Lake Huron. See more in kare hav’s Point Lookout / Au Gres gallery on Flickr including the first pic I ever shared from this awesome photographer on Night and Light.

Night by kare hav

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