Northern Lights Light Up Northland Sky

Photo courtesy Kyle Ziebarth

DULUTH, Minn –If you were up late last night, chances are you were witness to a spectacular display of the northern lights that lit up the skies across the Northland including the Twin Ports.  Last night and this morning we received several photos from our viewers with some saying it was one of the most spectacular displays in recent memory. One viewer, Kyle, told us he woke up his kids so they could see them.

The northern lights are the visual display of a strong geomagnetic storm, caused by solar winds interacting with Earth’s atmosphere. Strong enough solar winds can make the northern lights visible anytime of the year, but around the spring and fall equinoxes they are more likely to occur.  The alignment of Earth’s magnetic poles to the sun during an equinox is the ideal position for the solar winds to interact with Earth’s magnetic field.  So, when the stars, and planet, align, we get to enjoy the magnificent display we call the northern lights.