A global aurora show is unfolding tonight (Nov. 12–13, 2025) as a surge of solar energy interacts with Earth’s magnetic field, producing dazzling green, red, and purple lights visible across much of the Northern Hemisphere — and possibly farther south than usual.
According to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, G4 (Severe) geomagnetic storm conditions are ongoing, allowing auroras to be visible deep into the continental U.S., as well as across Canada, Europe, northern Asia, and even parts of Australia.
Each hue in the aurora’s display tells a story about the altitude and type of atoms being excited by solar particles:
- 🔴 Red — Produced by high-altitude oxygen (above 150 miles). Rare and ethereal, often visible during powerful storms.
- 🟢 Green — Created by lower-atmosphere oxygen around 60–150 miles up. The most common and vivid color.
- 🟣🔵 Purple and Blue — Formed when nitrogen molecules are energized near Earth’s surface, shining brightest during intense geomagnetic activity.
Clear skies tonight will be key for visibility — many U.S. regions, including parts of the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast, are expected to have mostly clear conditions.
If you’re cloud-free, look north after dark — the aurora may appear as a soft glow or vertical bands of shifting color.
🌍 Visible From: Northern U.S., Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Scandinavia, UK, Northern Europe, Asia, Australia & Northern Russia.
