With more aurora nights coming soon as the sun is at solar maximum — the peak of its 11-year cycle — some of the brightest and widest-reaching northern lights shows in years have appeared in our skies, and aurora watchers are basking in the glow. Because of its solar maximum state, our nearest star has been spitting out flares and sending solar material careening toward Earth, creating these fabulous green-and-purple light shows.
Back in September, there were particularly wild shows, with the northern lights stretching deep down into the US. We’ve rounded up aurora views from across the country, from CNET staffers and their families and friends — and even one from up in space.
Enjoy the swirling, colorful lights and keep an eye on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center for aurora forecasts. The sun will remain geomagnetically ill-tempered, giving skywatchers more opportunities to catch the northern lights.
Virginia
CNET’s James Bricknell snapped a purple glow from Virginia.
CNET’s James Bricknell used the astrophotography setting on a Google Pixel Fold to capture a glowing purple aurora from the northern reaches of Virginia.
Kansas
This was the aurora view from Kansas.
CNET’s Chris Wedel witnessed the shifting red and green colors of the aurora from Lyon County, Kansas. This image is from a Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold using the Night Sight setting — read CNET’s tips on how to take better night-mode photos here.
Another view from Kansas gives a perspective with trees in the foreground.
Kari Wedel used a handheld Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 with the auto night mode setting to get this view of the aurora along with the green leaves of the trees in the foreground.
South Carolina
CNET’s Erica Devaney spotted the northern lights from South Carolina.
The aurora lit up the sky in Tega Cay, South Carolina, creating a rosy glow over the water. CNET’s Erica Devaney used an iPhone 15 Pro for this view.
New York
New York residents were treated to the northern lights on Oct. 10.
This serene scene shows a green and purple aurora reflecting in water. CNET’s Richard Peterson snapped this beauty with an iPhone 14 Pro using a 1-second exposure in Monroe, New York.
The glowing lights of a house offer a counterpoint to the red aurora above.
The red aurora flits above a house with lit windows. It took 3 seconds with an iPhone 14 Pro for CNET’s Jeffrey Hazelwood to capture this scene in the Catskill Mountains.
Pennsylvania
This vivid aurora scene appeared in Pennslyvania.
The aurora lights kicked up at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. Dean Myers used an iPhone 15 to spot this ethereal purple-red glow.
Missouri
A vivid aurora seems to emerge from the tree tops.
Ciearra Jackson’s iPhone 14 Pro Max delivered a stunner of a shot highlighting tall trees in the foreground with a blazing aurora reaching into the sky above Hillsboro, Missouri.
Missouri got in on the aurora action.
Angie Olive’s iPhone 13 picked up this dance of green and red lights from Festus, Missouri.
International Space Station
NASA astronaut Don Pettit shared this view of the aurora from the International Space Station.
One of the most awe-inspiring views of the aurora came from the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Don Pettit shared a snapshot on X showing parts of the ISS in the foreground with a blazing green and red aurora dancing over Earth below.
“Stunning was the word,” Pettit wrote. “It looked like the space station had been shrunk to some miniature dimension and inserted into a neon sign. We were not flying above the aurora; we were flying in the aurora. And it was blood red.” Pettit used a Nikon Z9 for the shot.
New Mexico
Photographer Virginia Thompson captured this blush of aurora from New Mexico.
The aurora stretched far to the south on Thursday. This blush-like aurora glow was seen from Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a scrubby desert landscape below. Virginia Thompson captured the view with a Moto G Power phone.
Oregon
The aurora seen from Dundee, Oregon.
Sarah Marcus’ photo was taken from a field in Dundee, Oregon, using a Samsung Galaxy S10, manual settings, ISO 500, 26mm, f/2.4 with a 20-second exposure.
Alaska
The aurora in Alaska.
As far north as it is, Alaska had a fabulous show of the northern lights in its skies.
