The Northern lights, or aurora borealis, have been casting an amazing glow across the northern part of the continent this week. It’s not common to see them in South Dakota, but last weekend’s geomagnetic storm on the sun’s surface was one of the strongest since September of 2005. The aurora is caused when those charged particles from the sun interact with gaseous particles in the Earth’s atmosphere, producing a rainbow of colors.
Christian Begeman took these photos late Monday night and early Tuesday morning. Another solar storm is forecast for tonight (Wednesday), so there’s a good chance to see the lights again. The best viewing time is between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., when skies are clear and dark. Look to the north and hope.
