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Submission: On October 11 via api from BE — Scanned from DE
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Accessibility statementSkip to main content Democracy Dies in Darkness SubscribeSign in Advertisement Democracy Dies in Darkness Capital Weather GangClimateWeatherEnvironmentClimate Lab Capital Weather GangClimateWeatherEnvironmentClimate Lab Weather NORTHERN LIGHTS ERUPT ALL OVER D.C. AREA IN RARE AND STUNNING SPECTACLE The display was seen from the mountains to the Atlantic beaches and lasted intermittently for hours. 4 min 72 Northern lights seen at the Capitol on Thursday night. (Jonah Bryson) By Jason Samenow and Kasha Patel Updated October 11, 2024 at 9:14 a.m. EDT|Published October 11, 2024 at 5:00 a.m. EDT The color change was subtle at first. A faint violet blanketed the sky in front of the U.S. Capitol, confusing the bocce ball and kickball players on the National Mall enough to ask if the sky looked a little funny. But as the minutes went by, the hues grew deeper — visible to the naked eye even against the bright streetlights. Players wearing glow-in-the-dark necklaces pulled out their cellphones, snapping photos of the unmistakable purples, greens and pinks of the northern lights. Want to know how your actions can help make a difference for our planet? Sign up for the Climate Coach newsletter, in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday. One bocce player, annoyed that the game paused, remarked that the northern lights happen all the time and that play should continue. They do not — at least not in D.C. In an extraordinary spectacle, the northern lights were seen all around the D.C. area Thursday night. The lights, which very seldom reach this far south, first appeared just as it was getting dark around 7:10 p.m. and lingered for hours. Incredibly, they were visible at times with the naked eye inside the District and on the National Mall, where light pollution often obscures views of the night sky. Advertisement Story continues below advertisement The lights, also known as the aurora borealis, appeared as a severe geomagnetic storm, rated 4 out of 5, slammed into Earth on Thursday. They were also seen throughout much of Europe, the United States and parts of the Southern Hemisphere. 🌸 Follow D.C. region Follow In the D.C. area, clear skies paved the way for the magnificent display. During May, when an even more intense geomagnetic storm hit Earth and ignited auroras all around the world, clouds impeded views for most in the Mid-Atlantic and peaked when many people were already asleep (but a lucky few managed to see the lights). Thursday’s show, seen from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic beaches, offered redemption. The first emergence of the lights after sunset was perhaps the most impressive, but there were subsequent outbursts that followed. The most vibrant displays were captured in the mountains and away from city lights — and appeared most dramatic through the more sensitive lenses of smartphones and cameras. But, at times, streaks and pillars of purple and pink light could be detected by the naked eye. Toward the mountains, the colors were much more vibrant. Some photographers captured shimmering displays of both red and green light, sweeping over the sky like curtains. Advertisement Story continues below advertisement Skywatchers were exuberant after witnessing the spectacle, as apparent from the reactions of Capital Weather Gang followers on social media: * “Bucket list item, checked! This is so wonderful. I went to Iceland twice to try and see them, and should’ve looked in my own backyard” — Laurel Wittman * “Tonight’s aurora show was the most breathtaking sight I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing” — Sami Khan, Woodbine, Md. * “I have been waiting so long for this moment. It finally happened” — Michael WX, Bull Run Mountain, Va. * “I am simply speechless. I just can’t even comprehend what I just saw” — Jack Rudden * “Im literally crying. So magical. Dream come true!” — Natasha Jasso Smith, Fredericksburg, Va. The geomagnetic storm that spurred the lights was created by an explosion of particles and energy on the sun, called a coronal mass ejection, which temporarily disturbed Earth’s protective magnetic bubble. The ejection hit Earth at nearly 1.5 million mph. As some of the solar particles traveled along our planet’s magnetic field lines into the upper atmosphere, they excited nitrogen and oxygen molecules and released photons of light in different colors — or the aurora. At lower latitudes, red auroras were more common because red occurs at higher altitudes and can be seen farther away from the poles. The storm occurred near the peak of the 11-year solar cycle, when such outbursts from the sun are most probable. Space scientists told The Post in August that many more instances of the northern lights may still be in the pipeline. Advertisement Story continues below advertisement “The next three or four years, we should see some fine displays of aurora,” said Bob Leamon, a solar physicist at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and NASA. “It’s like a whole generation of people discovering something for the first time.” The severe geomagnetic storm that spurred Thursday night’s aurora will probably wane Friday, meaning it’s improbable the northern lights will be visible again in the D.C. area Friday night. However, minor to moderate geomagnetic storm activity may linger, so aurora may again be visible in the northern United States. We received hundreds of photos from our social media followers on X and Facebook. Here is just a small sampling of some of the stellar shots. From the District From Virginia From Maryland From Delaware From West Virginia Share 72 Comments NewsletterWeekdays Post Local The news you need about the place you call home. News, weather and lifestyle for D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Sign up Subscribe to comment and get the full experience. 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