Magnetic storm spawns more northern lights across much of US

The biggest solar flare so far in 2025 is bringing a return of vivid northern lights this week, visible over a large portion of the United States.

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center issued a watch for a G4 geomagnetic storm on Nov. 11. They said the storm will be severe on Nov. 12, strong on Nov. 13 and minor on Nov. 14.

But the show started on Tuesday night, especially across the Midwest. Locally WFCN posted dozens of photos of deep pinks, orange and yellow viewed across southern Illinois.

"Aurora may be seen as low as Alabama and northern California," the NOAA alert said.

The flare is an X5.1 solar flare, which is the strongest since a X9.0 solar flare in October 2024 that made the northern lights widely visible over Massachusetts.

"Space weather forecasters issued a rare Severe (level 4 out of 5) Geomagnetic Storm Watch for Wednesday due to recent CME activity. Another CME was seen blasting out from the sun Tuesday, moving at up to 4.4 million mph," AccuWeather said. "Solar material from this explosion is likely to arrive late Tuesday night or early Wednesday, according to the SWPC, and could set off some aurora across the northern U.S. before the bigger event arrives Wednesday."

The northern lights are typically most visible between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. according to NOAA. According to the 3-day forecast by the Space Prediction Center, the best time to see this storm is likely between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.


(Photo WFCN Facebook)

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