The Northern Lights appeared in Texas on Tuesday night. Residents across the Lone Star State may have another chance to see them.
The Northern Lights – or aurora borealis – result from a geomagnetic storm in the atmosphere. When the storm intensifies, the lights reach farther south, like they did in Texas on November 11.
Some forecasts suggest the displays could return on November 12.
“A surge in charged solar particles is headed for Earth again tonight,” Meteorologist Collin Myers told The Dallas Express. “Last night, skies as far south as Texas and Florida were able to see some color changes on the horizon, and tonight could be the same.”
Northern Lights occur when particles from the sun’s atmosphere fly through Earth’s magnetic field, according to Michigan Tech University. When electrons and atoms collide, they create bursts of colorful light.
Many Dallas-Fort Worth residents posted bright colors across the skies on November 11.
Political commentator Glenn Beck, CEO of Irving-based Blaze Media, even took time to appreciate the display.
Some Texans posted vibrant Northern Lights west of the DFW metroplex, in Palo Pinto County and Jack County. Other residents reported the displays reached as far south as San Antonio and Austin.
The upcoming storm is predicted to meet G4 conditions, which makes a severe geomagnetic storm, according to Myers. He said this results from a “coronal mass ejection” – an eruption of “clouds” of solar protons, electrons, and magnetic fields from the sun’s outer surface.
“Many times at incredible speeds,” Myers said. “Last night, some speeds reached 850 km/second. That’s over 1.8 million miles per hour.”
Space weather is hard to predict with certainty, according to Myers.
“Although it could happen again, it’s still unlikely that we see many G4 or G5 events,” he said. “These are definitely more rare.”
While some predictions suggest the Northern Lights may return, the night sky will be the ultimate tell.