Northern Lights Spotted In Texas, California, N.C. | Weather.com

Northern Lights Spotted In Texas, California, N.C. | Weather.com

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The aurora borealis, or northern lights, lit up skies as far south as Texas Friday night and into early Saturday morning. Here's what it looked like.

ByJan Wesner Childs•May 11, 2024

Northern Lights Put On Rare Show

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The aurora borealis, or northern lights, put on a brilliant show in the U.S. as far south as Texas Friday night into early Saturday morning.

The display was the result of the strongest solar storm in more than 20 years with flares erupting from a sunspot 17 times the diameter of Earth, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.

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Here's what it looked like across the country:

Mount Mitchell, North Carolina

These photos were taken Friday in the Blue Ridge Mountains northeast of Asheville.

MOUNT MITCHELL, UNITED STATES - MAY 10: Unusual sun activity created a G5 Geostorm on Earth sparks northern lights (Aurora Borealis) in Mount Mitchell, North Carolina, United States on May 10, 2024.
(Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)

MOUNT MITCHELL, UNITED STATES - MAY 10: Unusual sun activity created a G5 Geostorm on Earth sparks northern lights (Aurora Borealis) in Mount Mitchell, North Carolina, United States on May 10, 2024.
(Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)

(Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)

MOUNT MITCHELL, UNITED STATES - MAY 10: Unusual sun activity created a G5 Geostorm on Earth sparks northern lights (Aurora Borealis) in Mount Mitchell, North Carolina, United States on May 10, 2024.
(Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Middletown, California

These views were in a rural mountain area early Saturday, about 70 miles north of San Francisco.

(JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Northern lights or aurora borealis illuminate the night sky along a highway north of San Francisco in Middletown, California on May 11, 2024. The most powerful solar storm in more than two decades struck Earth, triggering spectacular celestial light shows from Tasmania to Britain -- and threatening possible disruptions to satellites and power grids as it persists into the weekend. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP)
(JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)

San Rafael, California

This photo was taken Saturday from China Camp Beach in the San Francisco Bay area.

CALIFORNIA, USA - MAY 11: Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) illuminate the sky of San Francisco North Bay as seen from China Camp Beach in San Rafael, California, United States on May 11, 2024.
(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Skidmore, Missouri

An old tombstone in a cemetery north of Kansas City turned eerier than usual.

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Williamson County, Texas

A pink-purple glow appeared Friday near Austin.

20240510_solar_storm_aurora_recap_williamson_county_texas_jeninatx_via_storyful_2.jpeg — (@JENinATX via Storyful)

20240510_solar_storm_aurora_recap_williamson_county_texas_jeninatx_via_storyful_3.jpeg — (@JENinATX via Storyful)

Minnesota

The northern lights glow in the sky over St. Croix State Forest near Markville, Minn., late Friday, May 10, 2024.
(AP Photo/Mark Vancleave)

Brunswick, Maine

The northern lights flare in the sky over a farmhouse, late Friday, May 10, 2024, in Brunswick, Maine.
(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.

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