Brilliant bands of green and magenta light are dancing across the Upper Midwest tonight due to an intense geomagnetic storm, making the northern lights visible beyond their usual range—from Iowa to Hibbing. Even residents of Minneapolis are seeing the aurora outshining the city lights.
This stunning display follows a surge of solar activity earlier this week that sent charged particles toward Earth, causing G3 (strong) geomagnetic conditions, as reported by the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. These particles collided with Earth’s magnetic field tonight, resulting in one of the brightest aurora shows of the year in the northern United States.
Reports of sightings are pouring in from Minnesota, including Duluth and downtown Minneapolis, with views extending as far south as Des Moines. Clear skies and cold November air are providing excellent viewing conditions.
Experts indicate that the aurora may remain visible through the early hours of Wednesday, Nov. 12, with the best time to watch between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Another surge in activity is possible tomorrow night as the storm continues to affect Earth’s magnetic field.
For the best experience, move away from city lights and look north, allowing your eyes to adjust to the darkness and using a camera’s night mode to capture the vivid colors in the sky. Such widespread aurora sightings are uncommon at this latitude, and NOAA scientists confirm that this week’s event is due to a powerful series of coronal mass ejections from the sun, which can disrupt satellites and power grids but also create stunning skies.
Did you spot the aurora tonight? The Daily Planet wants to see your photos.Send your images, along with your name, city, and timestamp, to dailyplanetdc@gmail.com or tag @DailyPlanetDC on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, or Facebook. We’ll showcase local submissions in our next update.
