Northern lights captured in breathtaking photos across tristate area
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A rare and powerful geomagnetic storm caused the northern lights to be visible across the United States late Friday night and into Saturday morning.
Across the local tristate area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, people pointed their cameras toward the sky and captured some breathtaking images of the aurora borealis.
Experts say that using professional cameras, or even iPhone cameras, increases your chance of seeing the aurora, as these machines are better at capturing the lights than the naked eye.
On Schroon Lake, in upstate New York, one photographer snapped a vibrant mix of purple, green, pink and blue painting the night sky.
Just off Lake Ontario and in Buffalo, N.Y., others were treated to similarly bright colors that appeared to fill the entire atmosphere.
“I am so happy that I did not blow off this opportunity. It was an amazing show of unbelievable color,” wrote one upstate viewer on Instagram. “I was truly blessed to witness it.”
Those in Connecticut found their skies lit up as well. The farther people are away from light pollution — aka big cities — the likelier they are to be able to see the northern lights in full, scientists say.
The northern lights occur when particles from the sun collide and interact with gases in our atmosphere, according to NASA. The rare G4 level storm recently sent these particles to places across the country which they don’t often reach.
One person who caught a beautiful pink glow over a bridge in Letchworth State Park, wrote, “I can’t believe what I’m looking at here.”
Others in Hartford, Conn., and Metuchen, N.J., spotted varying levels of the aurora.
“I’m so glad I woke I woke up early. This is one of the most amazing pictures I’ve ever taken,” one user captioned their photo on X.
Forecasters say the phenomenon could briefly return Saturday for those in and around New York City, and recommend that residents take a peak around sunset.
Rain showers and cloud coverage are expected to move in later in the night, impacting the chance to see the spectacle.
