Northern lights appear in Minnesota amid 'severe' geomagnetic storm: photos

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The northern lights were spotted on October 10, 2024 on a flight from Denver to Minneapolis. (Photo submitted by Ilija Aljoskin) (Included)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The northern lights brightened the skies over Minnesota Thursday evening as a “severe” geomagnetic storm was underway.

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NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued a severe (G4) geomagnetic storm warning that lasted through Friday, setting the stage for the Northern Lights to appear over Minnesota. Although the Northern Lights are typically visible in polar regions, more intense solar events can cause the Aurora Borealis to appear further south.

SWPC rates solar storms on a five-level scale, with G5 representing extreme conditions. Additionally, the planetary K index (Kp) is used to indicate the level of geomagnetic activity.

On Thursday evening the Kp peaked at 8.4, with the SWPC describing auroras in the 8 to 9 Kp range as “very bright and very active”, adding that “these are the events that produce the best auroras”. Website partially read.

The warning was just one of several recent geomagnetic storms that helped set the stage for the possibility of seeing the northern lights. The aurora was spotted in Minnesota on Monday after a G3 geomagnetic storm warning was issued.

If you missed the Northern Lights on Thursday, there's a chance to see them again on Friday evening. The latest aurora forecast can be found here on the NOAA website.

Northern lights photos

Northern lights were reported in several states Thursday night into Friday morning, with spectacular colors dancing across Minnesota skies. People have submitted images from around the Twin Cities and across the state showing the pinks and greens of the aurora borealis.

Do you have photos of the Northern Lights? Send them to fox9.com/photos.

Tips for observing the Northern Lights

NOAA recommends the following tips for the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights.

• Head north or away from the cities.
• Go to areas with less light pollution. This map can help you find the best places near you.
• The best times to see the Northern Lights are often two hours around midnight, which is from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m
• Spring and fall are often the best times to see the Northern Lights because “the subtleties in the way the solar wind interacts with the Earth's magnetosphere” can create larger geomagnetic storms.
• View the latest NOAA forecast here.