The aurora borealis, or the northern lights, could be seen from Tucson on April 23 after increased geomagnetic activity over the weekend, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Aurora is the name given to the glow that occurs when when electrons from outer space collide with particles in the Earth's upper atmosphere, according to NOAA. Usually, they are only visible near the Earth's Artic and Antarctic regions.
This footage showing the aurora borealis was captured by a camera belonging to the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey at Mount Bigelow on April 23 from sundown to about 10 p.m. Video courtesy of David Rankin.
Several Twitter users shared photos of the colorful Sunday night event as seen from Arizona.
Never thought I would see Aurora in southern Arizona! #aurora #AuroraBorealis pic.twitter.com/RMApRoe49b
— Greg McCown (@Gregtucson) April 24, 2023
That was incredible! #azwx pic.twitter.com/FX19kGQkxX
— John Sirlin (@SirlinJohn) April 24, 2023
If you are looking to catch a sight of the auroras, make sure to go out at night and get away from city lights for best viewing, according to the National Weather Service. And beware of the full moon, which tends to dim the brightness of the aurora.
NOAA's online aurora forecast provides a look at where the northern and southern lights can be viewed at night.
Photos: Northern lights visible in Missouri and Illinois
Sisters Rose Martin, left, and Elana Martin, from St. Charles County, sit on the roof of their SUV to take in the sight of the northern lights glowing in the sky outside of Elsberry, Missouri, on Sunday, April 23, 2023. It is rare to see aurora borealis this far south. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Sisters Rose Martin, left, and Elana Martin, from St. Charles County, sit on the roof of their SUV to take in the sight of the northern lights glowing in the sky outside of Elsberry, Missouri, on Sunday, April 23, 2023. The streaking line in the upper right part of the image is a plane flying through the night sky. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Sisters Rose Martin, left, and Elana Martin, from St. Charles County, sit on the roof of their SUV to take in the sight of the northern lights glowing in the sky outside of Elsberry, Missouri, on Sunday, April 23, 2023. The streaking line above the powerlines is a plane flying through the night sky. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Sisters Rose Martin, left, and Elana Martin, from St. Charles County, sit on the roof of their SUV to take in the sight of the northern lights glowing in the sky outside of Elsberry, Missouri, on Sunday, April 23, 2023. The setting moon can be seen to the left of the image. It is rare to see aurora borealis this far south. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
The northern lights glow in the sky above the Mississippi River as seen from a boat ramp off State Highway P near Elsberry on Monday, April 24, 2023. The lights across the river are from Hamburg, Illinois. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
The northern lights glow in the sky above the Mississippi River as seen from a boat ramp off State Highway P near Elsberry on Monday, April 24, 2023. A shooting star can be seen just above the tree line on the left side of the image. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
The northern lights glow in the sky above the Mississippi River as seen from a boat ramp off State Highway P near Elsberry on Monday, April 24, 2023. The lights across the river are from Hamburg, Illinois. The streaking line in the upper part of the image is a plane flying through the night sky. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
The northern lights glow on the horizon above a field off U.S. Highway 54 outside Rockport, Illinois, on Monday, April 24, 2023. A shooting star can be seen to the bottom left side of the image. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
The northern lights glow on the horizon above a field as streaking lights from a truck driving along U.S. Highway 54 can be seen outside Rockport, Illinois, on Monday, April 24, 2023. A shooting star can be seen to the bottom left side of the image. It is rare to see aurora borealis this far south. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
The northern lights pulse and dance above Hamburg, Illinois on Monday, April 24, 2023. The video is made up of 27 still photos taken between 12:26 and 12:33 am. A solar flare eruption on the sun sent waves of charged particles streaming towards Earth's atmosphere, producing the colorful lights. It is rare to see aurora borealis this far south. Video by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
