Aurora Visibility South: Why the Northern Lights Are Reaching Lower Latitudes

If you noticed friends in Florida, Texas, or Alabama posting photos of pink and green skies recently, you are not alone. The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are traditionally associated with the Arctic Circle. However, a surge in solar activity has pushed these spectacular light shows much further south than usual. This shift is due to the sun entering a volatile phase known as Solar Cycle 25.

Understanding Solar Cycle 25

The sun does not burn at a constant, steady rate. It goes through an roughly 11-year cycle of magnetic activity. We are currently in the midst of “Solar Cycle 25,” which began in December 2019.

This cycle is rapidly approaching its peak, known as the “Solar Maximum.” During this period, the sun’s magnetic field becomes tangled and unstable. This instability leads to a higher frequency of sunspots and explosive events on the solar surface. While initial forecasts predicted a mild cycle, activity has significantly outperformed expectations. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicates that we are seeing more intense solar storms earlier than predicted, with the peak likely occurring between late 2024 and early 2025.

The Role of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)

The primary driver of auroras visible in southern latitudes is a phenomenon called a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). While solar flares are flashes of light, a CME is a massive cloud of plasma and magnetic field expelled from the sun.

When these clouds hit Earth, they interact with our planet’s magnetosphere. This interaction dumps energy into our atmosphere, exciting oxygen and nitrogen gases. When these gases relax, they emit light.

During the quiet part of the solar cycle, CMEs are rare and weak. Now, near the Solar Maximum, the sun is firing multiple CMEs toward Earth in quick succession. In May 2024, for example, a cluster of sunspots named Active Region 3664 fired several CMEs that merged before hitting Earth. This created a historic “G5” geomagnetic storm, the strongest rating on the NOAA scale.

The Geomagnetic Storm Scale

To understand why the lights move south, you have to look at the G-scale used by the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. This scale rates storms from G1 (Minor) to G5 (Extreme).

• G1 to G3 (Minor to Strong): These storms happen frequently. During these events, the auroral oval (the ring of light around the magnetic pole) stays mostly in Canada and Alaska.
• G4 (Severe): The oval expands significantly. Viewers in northern US states like Minnesota, Montana, and sometimes as far south as Illinois might see the lights.
• G5 (Extreme): This is rare. The magnetic disturbance is so strong that the auroral oval is pushed deep toward the equator. This is what makes visibility possible in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the southern United States.

Before the massive storm in May 2024, Earth had not experienced a G5 event since the “Halloween Storms” of October 2003.

Why Southern Viewers See Red Instead of Green

If you look at photos from northern latitudes, the aurora often appears as ribbons of bright green. However, observers in the south often report seeing a deep red or purple glow. This difference depends on altitude and the curvature of the Earth.

Auroras happen in layers:

1. Green: Produced by oxygen molecules at lower altitudes (roughly 60 to 150 miles up).
2. Red: Produced by oxygen at very high altitudes (above 150 miles).

When the aurora is directly overhead in the Arctic, you see the green bottom layer clearly. However, when you are watching from a location like Virginia or California, you are technically looking at the aurora from the side and from a great distance. You are looking over the horizon at the very top of the auroral curtain. Since the top of the structure is red, that is the dominant color for southern viewers.

Cameras vs. The Human Eye

It is important to manage expectations regarding what you see versus what a camera captures. Modern smartphones have sensors that are far more sensitive to low light than the human retina.

During a G4 or G5 storm, the sky might look vaguely gray or washed out to the naked eye, perhaps with a slight pink tint. However, if you use “Night Mode” on an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, the phone accumulates light over 3 to 10 seconds. This reveals the vibrant reds, purples, and greens that your eye cannot process in real-time. Many of the spectacular viral images from recent storms were captured this way.

Outlook for the Rest of the Cycle

The opportunity to see the Northern Lights south of the Canadian border is not over. Since the Solar Maximum is expected to persist through 2025, the conditions for strong geomagnetic storms remain high.

Furthermore, the “declining phase” of a solar cycle (the years immediately following the peak) can typically produce some of the most massive storms. This means residents in the mid-latitudes could have semi-frequent opportunities to view the aurora for the next two to three years.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Kp index? The Kp index is a number from 0 to 9 that measures geomagnetic activity. To see the aurora in the northern US, you typically need a Kp of 5 to 7. To see it in the southern US, you generally need a Kp of 8 or 9.

When is the best time of night to look for auroras? The window of peak intensity is usually between 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM local time. This is when the magnetic alignment is most favorable for your location relative to the sun.

Do I need a telescope to see them? No. Auroras cover huge sections of the sky. A telescope focuses on a tiny area and is useless for this. Your eyes or a wide-angle camera lens are the best tools.

Will the lights be visible tonight? You should check the “30-minute forecast” provided by the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. Space weather changes rapidly, so real-time data is more reliable than long-term forecasts.

Does light pollution affect visibility? Yes, significantly. Even during a strong storm, city lights can wash out the aurora. For the best chance of seeing them, drive to a location with dark skies, away from urban centers and streetlights.