The strongest solar flares in decades made for some jaw-dropping views over the weekend, but the incredible images that were shared across the world also reflect a unique moment in technological time.
Zoom in: The power of modern smartphones to combine several seconds of light into a single captivating image made most of the photographs possible.
Yes, but: The recent arrival of generative AI cast a bit of a pall over those beautiful images. Any time we confront images that look too good to be real today, we can't help doubting their veracity and wondering whether they reflect natural truth or technological invention.
Most of the aurora images lay right at the edge of the real and the fantastical, offering a view that went beyond what the human eye could see but still accurately represented what the solar dance looked like to the smartphone's superhuman eye.
- Social media was filled with a dizzying array of color as people who had never imagined they would see the Northern Lights found they could capture them, often from their porches and backyards.
- Some, including my colleague Sam Sabin, had the fortune to be flying on a plane at just the right time.
- And professional photographers found ways to merge the spectacular sky show with other natural wonders and man-made architecture, along with stunning time-lapse videos.
Yes, but: Some people had to go further and use AI to create images that stretched beyond the limits of what even the best iPhone or Android could deliver.
- Still others, unable to see the Northern Lights for themselves, took to satire, showing images of oil on the ground, scenes from a car wash, colors drawn in with digital markers and even this blast from the 1990s.
Ina's thought bubble: I hate that I looked at the most powerful images from this weekend and my first thought was, "Did they use AI?" But that skepticism is a vital part of this new reality.
- We need it to fight the tide of misinformation, even if part of me longs for the innocence of just a couple years ago.
