The Northern Lights danced again over us Sunday night into Monday morning, April 23-24. This rare pulsating show of the Aurora Borealis was a repeat of the performance 28 days earlier that surprised many. (So mark your calendars for May 21 for a possible repeat performance!)
The strong solar storm was a G3, sometimes G4, throughout the dark hours that night. Cloud cover was the only thing that kept some from witnessing the spectacle that was visible in much of the U.S., another rarity.
This recent activity is the sun gearing up toward an 11-year maximum in 2025, as it cycles activity. Coming out of “solar minimum” (years of not much activity), this increased activity toward “solar maximum” is a real treat. Many aurora-chasers have seen the show of a lifetime in these past two displays, with several rare features.
Vibrant colors may only be visible on camera (even a cell phone camera), and to the naked eye they may look more like a thin veil of white cloud that moves.