Dazzling Northern Lights display awes sky watchers in more than 2 dozen states as far south as Arizona
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center said severe geomagnetic storms were underway on Sunday afternoon and rated them a level four out of five on the Geomagnetic Storm Impact Scale.
Northern lights dance across the night sky in spectacular display over two dozen states
Severe geomagnetic storms produced a vibrant display of the northern lights for sky watchers across the continental U.S.
A geomagnetic storm produced a dazzling aurora borealis over the Northern Hemisphere on Sunday night, providing a vivid Northern Lights display as far south as North Carolina, New Mexico and Arizona.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center said severe geomagnetic storms were underway on Sunday afternoon and rated them a level four out of five on the Geomagnetic Storm Impact Scale.
(FOX Weather)
Vivid Northern Lights displays usually follow a few days after solar events known as coronal mass ejections or solar flares. The flares bring a barrage of electrons that interact with oxygen and nitrogen in Earth's magnetic field that surrounds the outside of our planet.
This stunning image shows the Northern Lights above Devil's Lake in Wisconsin on Sunday night, April 23, 2023.
(Isaac Schluesche)
"The production of the colors is very similar to what you see in a neon sign," said Don Hampton, a researcher at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. "It's basically just an electrical current."
Aurora chaser captures dazzling northern lights display in Alaska
Aurora chaser and photographer Vincent Ledvina said auroras of all colors were dancing across the entire sky of Cantwell, Alaska last night. Ledvina noted the coronal mass ejection was very powerful and helped push the aurora borealis far south.
Americans in more than two dozen states reported seeing the vivid Northern Lights display, and the image above shows the green, red and purple colors high above Devil's Lake in Wisconsin.
WATCH: LUCKY PASSENGER CAPTURES STUNNING TIME-LAPSE VIDEO OF NORTHERN LIGHTS FROM PLANE WINDOW
This image shows the Northern Lights above Champaign County, Illinois, on Sunday night, April 23, 2023.
(Andrew Pritchard)
Another amazing photo snapped by Andrew Pritchard shows the Northern Lights lighting up the night sky high above Champaign County in Illinois on Sunday night.
The types of colors that the Northern Lights give off all depend on the kinds of gasses high up in the atmosphere.
Oxygen molecules give off a green or yellow glow when they are excited or sometimes can give off a bit of a red hue, according to NASA.
Sky watchers treated to Northern Lights display across parts of US
Sky watchers across the continental U.S. were treated to a spectacular light show last night, as a solar storm brought a vibrant display of aurora - also known as the Northern Lights - to over two dozen states.
Meanwhile, nitrogen will give off blue hues when hit by solar energy.
WATCH: TIME-LAPSE OF NORTHERN LIGHTS PROVIDES EYE-GAZING AURORAS ABOVE NORWEGIAN VILLAGE
Another video recorded in Faribault, Minnesota, shows the Northern Lights in the distance, but the strength of the geomagnetic storm caused power lines to hum.
![The Northern Lights are seen in Yellowstone National Park.]()
Image 1 of 5The Northern Lights are seen in Yellowstone National Park. (@YellowstoneNPS/Twitter)
![The Northern Lights are seen in Yellowstone National Park.]()
Image 2 of 5The Northern Lights are seen in Yellowstone National Park. (@YellowstoneNPS/Twitter)
![The Northern Lights are seen in this image posted by the National Weather Service in Riverton, Wyoming.]()
Image 3 of 5The Northern Lights are seen in this image posted by the National Weather Service in Riverton, Wyoming. (@NWSRiverton/Twitter)
![The Northern Lights are seen in this image posted by the National Weather Service in Riverton, Wyoming.]()
Image 4 of 5The Northern Lights are seen in this image posted by the National Weather Service in Riverton, Wyoming. (@NWSRiverton/Twitter)
![The Northern Lights are seen in this image posted by the South Dakota Highway Patrol in Walworth County.]()
Image 5 of 5The Northern Lights are seen in this image posted by the South Dakota Highway Patrol in Walworth County. (South Dakota Highway Patrol)
The strongest solar flares can bring aurora sightings farther south than typically observed, reaching California, Nevada and Texas.
The strongest solar flare ever recorded, known as the "Carrington Event" in 1859, was so intense that the Northern Lights were spotted in Cuba and Hawaii, according to NASA.
Watch: Time-lapse video shows majestic Northern Lights display dancing across Canadian sky
Time-lapse video recorded by RJ Roldan captured a dazzling Northern Lights display above South Indian Lake in the Canadian province of Manitoba in the early hours of Sunday, April 23, 2023.
A time-lapse video recorded in the Canadian province of Manitoba shows the Northern Lights dancing across the night sky in South Indian Lake.