Summary: A slow-moving but dense solar wind disturbance hit Earth's magnetosphere at ~1930 UT on Dec. 22nd. Soon thereafter the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) near Earth turned sharply southward and remained so for nearly 12 hours. South-pointing IMF's weaken our magnetosphere's defenses against solar wind gusts, which can trigger Northern Lights. The initial solar wind disturbance probably came from a small coronal hole that began crossing the Sun's central meridian a few days earlier.

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	Photographer, Location	Images	Comments
	Lyndon Anderson, Bismarck, ND	#1, #2, #3	Lyndon Anderson captured these photos on Friday night, December 22, 2000, between 11:15 and 11:45 p.m. local time 15 miles north of Bismarck, ND. Photo details: Pentax camera, 50 mm lens with 1.4 aperature opening Royal Gold 400 film, 10 second exposure