Northern Lights Dance Over the Parkland Tuesday Night

Park Hills, Mo. (KFMO) - Residents across the Parkland witnessed a rare celestial display Tuesday, the Aurora Borealis, or northern lights, appeared in the skies above much of Missouri.

Forecasters say the storm that lit up the sky was triggered by a pair of solar eruptions earlier in the week that hurled charged particles into space. These particles collided with Earth’s magnetic field late Tuesday, fueling strong geomagnetic activity. The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center had issued a heightened geomagnetic storm watch, including a G3 level (strong) for Tuesday and a G4 level (severe) for Wednesday. For the best views, sky-watchers headed to areas with dark skies and clear views of the northern horizon after sunset.

While the peak display is expected Wednesday night, Tuesday’s arrival of the solar debris offered a spectacular early show.