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Weather and Climate News
Matt Mikus and Sven Sundgaard
Updated:

Photos: Sneaky northern lights didn’t escape these aurora watchers

A view of the northern lights
A view of the northern lights near Nowthen.
Submitted by Jacob Richards

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A low-forecasted solar storm turned out to be much more powerful, allowing for some aurora chasers to chat the light show Monday night.

A coronal mass ejection reached Earth and created a stronger than expected KP index with a peak of 7.67, which is strong enough to make the northern lights potentially visible as far south as Iowa or Illinois.

Forecasts for the night were around a KP index of 5, which would be strong enough for a show in northern Minnesota and Canada, but not as far south as the Twin Cities.

Even during the current peak of the nine-year solar cycle with stronger solar activity, forecasting auroras can be a challenge.

Missed the fun? There’s still great space spotting Tuesday night, with the full harvest blood eclipse supermoon scheduled for 9:35 p.m.

A view of the Northern Lights.
A view of the northern lights near Chisago City.
Submitted by Monica Kinny
A view of the Northern Lights.
A view of the northern lights near Austin, taken around 10 p.m.
Submitted by Chad Christenson
A view of the Northern Lights.
A view of the northern lights near Hoyt Lakes.
Submitted by Maggie FitGibbon
A view of the Northern Lights.
A view of the northern lights near Goodhue.
Submitted by Rosa Mullen
A view of the Northern Lights.
A view of the northern lights near Duluth, taken around 10:30 p.m.
Submitted by Jeanie Peterson
A view of the Northern Lights.
A view of the northern lights near Nowthen taken around 10:20 p.m.
Submitted by Levi Janssen
A view of the Northern Lights.
A view of the northern lights near Union Hill around 10:21 p.m.
Submitted by Laura Hennen
A view of the Northern Lights.
A view of the northern lights near North Branch.
Submitted by Jennifer Averbeck
A view of the Northern Lights.
A view of the northern lights near Austin taken around 10:45 p.m.
Submitted by Baba Freeman
A view of the Northern Lights.
A view of the northern lights near Union Hill, taken around 10:21 p.m.
Submitted by Laura Hennen
A view of the Northern Lights.
A view of the northern lights near Stillwater.
Submitted by Karin Erickson
Northern lights
Northern lights in Markham.
Sulaiman Syed