NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexicans had the rare chance to catch a spectacular phenomenon Thursday night. The northern lights were visible in much of the state, with photos and videos of the colorful sky flooding in from viewers. Can New Mexico expect to see more? “We called everybody from inside the house and we […]
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexicans had the rare chance to catch a spectacular phenomenon Thursday night. The northern lights were visible in much of the state, with photos and videos of the colorful sky flooding in from viewers. Can New Mexico expect to see more?
“We called everybody from inside the house and we were like you guys come look at it,” said Alexis Vigil who took photos of the bright sky in Holman.
Stepping outside Thursday night, New Mexicans saw a rare display of colors fill the night sky. Viewers from across the state sent in their photos to KRQE.
“It just glowed. The skies came alive in reds, purples, greens, it was incredible,” said Michael Moore, who drove near San Ysidro to snap some photos.
One viewer sent a photo of the northern lights over a Bernalillo neighborhood and another sent in a timelapse of the sky over Edgewood showing how colorful the aurora got.
According to the National Weather Service, the solar activity was most visible in northern parts of the state.
“From the naked eye, it wasn’t as bright as I was expecting, but once I started taking pictures on my phone, it was just l was in awe. It was so crazy, it was so cool to see,” said Vigil.
The lights were also seen in southern parts of the state.
“As south as Socorro here where New Mexico Tech is, we were able to see it last night (Thursday). It was a bit difficult with the naked eye,” said Associate Professor of Physics at New Mexico Tech Caitano da Silva.
Formally known as the Aurora Borealis, the phenomenon is rarely visible in the Land of Enchantment. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, northern lights are caused by solar flares that create magnetic storms.
As KRQE meteorologists explain, the sun is currently entering a more active period of solar activity as it moves towards a solar cycle that’s expected to peak in 2025. Thursday night was New Mexico’s second look at the phenomenon in the last 5 months. “To see them with the pink and purple and to get to see the green after it was just phenomenal,” said Vigil.
The National Weather Service said geomagnetic activity remains active, but New Mexico is unlikely to see the northern lights again Friday night. The service said Thursday night was a G4 magnetic storm, on a scale of G1 to G5, which is considered “severe.”