Northern Lights Viewed In Iowa Thursday Evening

The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, was viewed by many in Iowa late Thursday into early Friday. A solar flare arrived Thursday, sparking the dazzling show over much of the upper Midwest.

The northern lights are a natural phenomenon that occurs when charged particles from the sun collide with the Earth’s atmosphere. These collisions create colorful, dancing lights in the sky, typically seen in polar regions such as Alaska, Canada, and northern Europe. However, on rare occasions, the aurora can be visible from lower latitudes, including the upper Midwest region of the United States.

To have viewed the northern lights, you would have needed to be in a dark location with minimal light pollution and a clear view of the northern horizon. Cloud cover and the strength of the aurora’s activity can also affect visibility. Due to the strength of the Northern Lights Thursday evening, many could take photos of them with their phone cameras. To the naked eye, the lights appeared to be a faint glow. With a camera, you could have captured the following images.