Pictures of Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) Taken in the Deep South Monday Night

Because of some unusually strong solar activity, pictures of the Aurora Borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights, were take by people all over the United States Monday night, including some very far to the south.

In what scientists call a CME or coronal mass ejection, also called a solar flare, our sun sent a storm of high energy particles which collided with the earth’s protective magnetic field over the North Pole last night.

The effect, which reached peak intensity around midnight eastern time last night and into this morning, was visible much further south of the pole than usual. Photographers from all over the country were able to take pictures of the incredible light show in the sky.

In the featured image on this page, Photographer Brian Emfinger was able to take this photo from as far south as a location near Ozark, Arkansas.

The internet is filled this morning with images taken by stargazers last night. Earlier this year, at the end of September, astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) were able to take this spectacular photograph of a greenish aurora while the ISS was passing over the American Midwest. The city lights of Omaha, Des Moines, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Chicago and St. Louis are visible below.