Spotting the Northern Lights is an experience that many people only dream of. And while you’re likely to spot them in select locations such as Alaska, they seldom appear over the continental U.S. Unless, of course, there happens to be an unusual amount of solar activity that charges particles in the Earth’s atmosphere. This phenomenon is what causes the beautiful spectrum of light in the night sky known as Aurora Borealis. The following photographs showcase moments when the Northern Lights appeared in rather unexpected places:
- Laingsburg, Michigan
Joshua R. Nichols/flickr A streak of the Northern Lights appeared in the sky over Sleepy Hollow State Park in March of 2017.
- Northfield, Maine
Matt Clark/flickr The lights were spotted from an airplane flying over the border between Maine and New Brunswick in May of 2017. Can you imagine seeing the lights at an altitude of 33,000 feet?
- Farmersville, Ohio
Tom/flickr This photographer captured the Northern Lights from Ohio sometime in the 1990s. What’s even more fascinating is the red hue, which is a rare spectacle.
- Kanabec, Minnesota
imagenusphoto/flickr The Northern Lights dazzled a cloudy sky right before a storm rolled in. The reflection on the water is simply mesmerizing.
- Sherburne, Minnesota
USFWS Midwest Region/flickr The Aurora Borealis appeared at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge on a particularly cold evening in February of 2014.
- Three Lakes, Wisconsin
Ryan Hock/flickr The lights look faint, but no less spectacular in this photograph taken from Three Lakes.
- Flathead River, Montana
Troy Smith/flickr A stunning streak of green follows the Flathead River in this photograph from Montana.
- Spokane, Washington
Jonathan Fox/flickr It’s rare that the lights can be viewed from a major city, yet they appeared over Spokane in June of 2013 around 2:00 a.m.
- Westport, Maine
Mike Lewinski/flickr The pink and gold glow of the sky illuminated the surface of still water in Westport, Maine in 2013.
What are your thoughts on this gorgeous photography of the Northern Lights? We’d love to hear from you! For related content, be sure to check out The Best Spot In The US For Viewing The Northern Lights.
Joshua R. Nichols/flickr
A streak of the Northern Lights appeared in the sky over Sleepy Hollow State Park in March of 2017.
Matt Clark/flickr
The lights were spotted from an airplane flying over the border between Maine and New Brunswick in May of 2017. Can you imagine seeing the lights at an altitude of 33,000 feet?
Tom/flickr
This photographer captured the Northern Lights from Ohio sometime in the 1990s. What’s even more fascinating is the red hue, which is a rare spectacle.
imagenusphoto/flickr
The Northern Lights dazzled a cloudy sky right before a storm rolled in. The reflection on the water is simply mesmerizing.
USFWS Midwest Region/flickr
The Aurora Borealis appeared at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge on a particularly cold evening in February of 2014.
Ryan Hock/flickr
The lights look faint, but no less spectacular in this photograph taken from Three Lakes.
Troy Smith/flickr
A stunning streak of green follows the Flathead River in this photograph from Montana.
Jonathan Fox/flickr
It’s rare that the lights can be viewed from a major city, yet they appeared over Spokane in June of 2013 around 2:00 a.m.
Mike Lewinski/flickr
The pink and gold glow of the sky illuminated the surface of still water in Westport, Maine in 2013.
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