13 Jun 2012 – Happy Bday Henrietta Luk

Aurora Borealis, Polar Aurorae/Northern lights is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude (Arctic and Antarctic) regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere. In northern latitudes, the effect is known as the aurora borealis (or the northern lights), named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas, by Pierre Gassendi in 1621.

The first time witnessing this phenomenal was Dec 1968 in Tromsø, a most fascinating and memorable natural light show. Words can never justify this and only by seeing the real thing can one relate to the pix uploaded from various sites Unfortunately did not take any pix of them when living in Tromsø 1975-1980 but fortunate to see those lights every winter there.

First Henrietta from HKG mentioned that she would like to see the Northern Lights and then Linn posted this 1979 pix on FB. It was just too much to not trigger off nostalgic memories of Northern Norway, the part of Norway with warm and compassionate locals who got me to like and enjoy Norway in spite of the dark harsh winters.

Tromsø, land of the midnight sun, Paris of the North and the birth town of second daughter, May. Thank you for lovely memories!

Most of L&M’s relatives still live in Tromsø. Claire’s father Richard Armstrong (originally from Ireland) is an international renowned researcher on the Northern lights and Claire was my best student and baby-sitter then. Still have not understood any of his high techno explanations regarding this subject! Will just enjoy this most beautiful wonder from Mother Nature.

Today Claire like her father is a well-known researcher, not on Northern Lights but on fishery and has a lovely family (pix taken Aug 2009).

The boundaries of our country, sir? Why sir, on the north we are bounded by the Aurora Borealis, on the east we are bounded by the rising sun, on the south we are bounded by the procession of the Equinoxes, and on the west by the Day of Judgment – The American Joe Miller’s Jest Book