Weather experts predicted that an aurora caused by this weekend's solar geothermal storm would be visible as far south as Northern California and Alabama in the United States and throughout Europe, and they weren't wrong. They were visible even in Southern California and Arizona and Florida, and they were spectacular.
The first photos I saw Friday night were from people in the UK and Australia.
Ok.... Did not expect this tonight. Colour me stunned.
— Tippers (@talktotippers) May 10, 2024
Even better was someone playing "in the air tonight" really loudly. "I've been waiting for this moment, all my life..."#aurora #solarstorm #NorthernLights #skinnerskitchen pic.twitter.com/n7tVnSHFHe
Tonight’s #aurora in #Melbourne#Australia #solarstorm #southernlights #Victoria pic.twitter.com/Uw31hfiFdj
— Emma-Louise Cooper (@Emlcpeer) May 11, 2024
Absolutely biblical skies in Tasmania at 4am this morning. I’m leaving today and knew I could not pass up this opportunity for such a large solar storm. Here’s the image. I actually had to de-saturate the colours. Clouds glowing red. Insane. Shot on Nikon. Rt appreciated pic.twitter.com/210hlkmoeg
— Sean O' Riordan (@seanorphoto) May 10, 2024
Then the show moved to the east coast of the United States.
Unbelievable! I never would’ve thought I’d see it…the aurora in South Florida!!! Better pics coming eventually, this was a quick iPhone shot. #flwx #aurora @NWSMiami @TweetAurora pic.twitter.com/NluiqoolNi
— Luke Culver (@LukeCulverWx) May 11, 2024
We usually see the aurora's lights illuminating icy harbors or snow-capped mountains. They do look very pretty behind palm trees, too.
🤯 Never in my life did I imagine I’d capture this! In all my years of aurora-chasing this seemed like the last place I’d ever witness it. The Northern Lights in Florida! 🇺🇸 #aurora #solarstorm pic.twitter.com/hYq9NKSNRL
— Tom Kerss FRAS (@tomkerss) May 11, 2024
This time lapse video from the Sacramento area is stunning.
Time lapse of the #aurora / #northernlights over Blue Canyon in Northern California last night! @Vincent_Ledvina @abc7newsbayarea @kcranews pic.twitter.com/mKHzGe4Tei
— Absorbing Photons 🔭🌌 (@brianfulda) May 11, 2024
There was too much cloud cover at my house to see them, but photographers who went out to the desert or high enough in the mountains were able to get some great views.
Latitude 34° (Yucaipa) in Southern California
— Marnie Lopez (@marniekaylopez) May 11, 2024
Taken at 11:00pm local time@NWSSanDiego #NorthernLights #Auroraborealis pic.twitter.com/z3T9rQl0Oy
Southern California, 18 miles east of Palmdale. #Auroraborealis #aurora #NorthernLights #Southerncalifornia #palmdaleca #nightsky pic.twitter.com/LPJ26pfSaR
— Mary Moody (@MaryMoody1976) May 11, 2024
I am just south of Barstow. @NWSVegas @NWSSanDiego @NWSLosAngeles #solarstorm #AuroraBoreal pic.twitter.com/XB8h2FAHZu
— FirePhotoGirl (@FirePhotoGirl) May 11, 2024
#aurora Lake Arrowhead Village peninsula, San Bernardino Mountains, Southern California pic.twitter.com/lUIF5xx82U
— 🇺🇸𝕛𝕠𝕕𝕚.𝕘🇺🇸 (@DragonflyLady) May 11, 2024
The solar geothermal storm is ongoing.
Good explanation of what you saw last night...for us this far South, we see a lot of the reddish pink because at our latitude, we see the upper altitude mostly. We in the South experienced something very unique and possibly once in a lifetime for those that were curious... pic.twitter.com/Omq52fXDZp
— Dr. Marshall Shepherd (@DrShepherd2013) May 11, 2024
If you missed it Friday night, you may have another chance Saturday depending on where you live and how much cloud cover and light pollution is nearby.
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