Northern Minnesota treated to stunning northern lights display for two consecutive nights

For two nights in a row, the northern lights have illuminated the skies over Lake Superior and northern Minnesota, captivating residents and visitors.

The northern lights first appeared around 9 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6, with displays of red and green. Then, around the same time on Monday evening, Oct. 7, the northern lights made a second appearance and remained strong into the early morning hours.

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials, the sun’s magnetic field is currently at the peak of its 11-year cycle, making solar storms and northern lights more frequent. The sun shot out two strong flares last week, including one Thursday, Oct. 3, that was the biggest since 2017.

NOAA forecasters estimated the solar storm would cause faint northern lights across fringes of the northern United States and even be visible as far south as South Dakota, Iowa, and New York.

Unusually strong solar storms in May produced jaw-dropping aurora displays across the Northern Hemisphere. This week’s storms featured fewer ejections of the high-energy plasma that can drive a light show, according to NOAA.

Photos from area photographers:

Photo by Kalli Hawkins

Video of the Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center-  Allsky Camera of the northern lights:

According to NOAA, there might be another slight chance of catching a glimpse of the northern lights again tonight. An NOAA aurora forecast for Oct. 8 is below.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kalli Hawkins October 8, 2024