Northern Lights spotted in Minnesota on Sunday: Photos

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A geometric storm that originated from the sun a few days ago caused the Aurora Borealis to appear in Minnesota overnight.

People reported seeing the Northern Lights as far away as Illinois, so they were likely visible throughout Minnesota on Sunday night. Here are some pictures of the Northern Lights sent in by viewers.

What causes the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights are caused by the interaction of charged particles in the solar wind with the Earth’s magnetic field.

These particles actually come from solar flares in cooler parts of the sun, called sunspots.

Sunspots have an 11-year cycle between their maximums. The peak of this 11-year cycle is late this year and early next year, meaning we’re more likely to see northern lights over the next year.

Tips for observing the Northern Lights

Here are some facts to keep in mind when trying to see the Northern Lights:

• Always stay as far away from light pollution and large cities as possible. While a strong coronal mass ejection would cause the aurora to be visible in a city, this is rarely the case, especially the further south you go in the US.
• You will NOT see the Northern Lights if clouds are present. Remember that the Northern Lights are dozens of miles above our weather, so any cloud will obstruct your view.
• Try to get an unobstructed view of the northern horizon. A strong coronal mass ejection could cause the aurora to appear higher up. But it’s much more likely that many of us will only be able to see it lower than 30 degrees above the northern horizon.
• The aurora is extremely variable and changes in a very short period of time. Even some of the most powerful coronal mass eruptions can have a very short lifetime in which the aurora is visible. You can sit and watch the horizon for hours only to sporadically witness a 5-minute display of brilliant color. In most cases, there is simply no way to predict with certainty how the event will unfold in any location.
• Be extremely skeptical of aurora forecasts that predict more than 48 hours in advance. When a coronal mass ejection (CME) is ejected from the Sun, it takes about 36 to 60 hours to reach Earth. There is no way to predict when a coronal mass ejection (CME) will occur, so aurora forecasts are purely reactionary, not predictive. If you see a story/post/comment expecting the aurora to be visible for more than two days, I would not consider that as credible information.
• In the 48 continental states, you won’t see the aurora borealis with the naked eye as well as what many professional cameras capture and the corresponding images that are then posted online. Cameras can be much more sensitive to the variations in light and color than the human eye can be with long exposures. Only when the aurora borealis are high in the sky do they come close to what you see in a long exposure photo.
• The strongest coronal mass ejections can actually cause significant problems for humans. If they are strong enough, they can overload transformers at power plants, damaging the electrical grid and causing major blackouts that may last for weeks, depending on how badly the grid is damaged. This type of event is VERY rare, so don’t let it give you sleepless nights. But it is possible, and even slightly more likely in years with the highest sunspot rate. The more likely scenario for stronger waves is that radios become inoperable due to static, and satellites temporarily become unable to communicate with transmitters here on the surface. So things like GPS, cell phones, and satellite TV would stop working for a relatively short period of time during the wave.
• While FOX 9 meteorologists will try to keep you updated on more “real” chances of seeing the Northern Lights, we are not experts in the field. You can get a forecast from the experts at the Space Weather Prediction Center here or from a branch of NOAA at spaceweather.com.