Could Florida, Palm Beach County see rare northern lights Friday night, October 11?

The gorgeous pink, green and purple hue, known as the northern lights, has been illuminating Florida’s night skies this week.

The northern lights, mostly only detectable through a camera lens, returned to Florida and parts of the United States on Thursday, Oct. 10. The last time the rare event was visible in this part of the country was in May 2024.

What caused the phenomenon? A rare geomagnetic storm sent a barrage of coronal mass ejections from the sun that caused the lights to be visible as far south as the Sunshine State. The rare event may be visible again on Friday night, Oct. 11.

Take a look at the colorful skies captured throughout the country on Oct. 10.

Northern lights seen in Florida

Aurora borealis, or northern lights seen around the United States

Northern Lights Alert | Little Missouri River Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Dakota October 11, 2024 2:30 AM | Facebook

What is the aurora borealis, or northern lights?

The aurora, or northern lights, are colorful curtains that shimmer in the night sky when charged particles from the sun come hurtling at Earth’s atmosphere. When the particles hit atoms in the atmosphere, it causes reactions in their nuclei of the atoms and the surrounding electrons, which produces the light. Earth’s magnetic field directs the particles toward its poles, where the northern and southern lights can be seen.

Will the northern lights be visible Friday night, Oct. 11?

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center issued a rare G4 geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday, Oct. 10 and Friday, Oct. 11.

Tips for viewing the northern lights

“Go out at night,” NOAA said. “And get away from city lights.”

The best aurora is usually within an hour or two of midnight (between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. in Palm Beach County). These hours can expand toward evening and morning as the level of geomagnetic activity increases.

Did you capture northern lights in Florida?

We would love to share your photos or videos. Please tell us the location where you capture the aurora borealis and send to Laura Lordi at [email protected].

Laura Lordi is Digital Editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Northern lights tonight possible in Florida, United States October 11