SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – If you’ve been outside at night the past couple of days, there’s a good chance you could see the northern lights without your camera.
In parts of the midwest, the aurora borealis has been brighter and more frequent than normal.
KELOLAND Meteorologist Adam Rutt said this is due to the enhanced solar activity like solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CME) and sunspots that the sky sees every 11 years.
“When we get that increase in CMEs, we’re obviously going to be able to see the northern lights more frequently than we typically would,” Rutt said. “I’ve noticed it too, just being able to go outside, I kind of see a little bit of green up there in the sky.”
During a year with weaker solar activity, there will normally be around 115 sunspots present. However this year during solar maximum, Rutt said that number has gotten up to 177 sunspots.
“When you have more sunspots being observed, more sunspots forming, you’re going to get more of those events that will come around and by extension, that helps with the vibrance and the intensity of what you see in the skies,” Rutt explained.
Alex Resel, a nature photographer from Watertown, has been hunting and photographing the northern lights since 2021 and has noticed the difference in intensity and frequency.
“This year has been a lot more exceptional like I said, a lot brighter,” Resel said. “We have a lot more stronger geomagnetic storms that have hit Earth and that’s just provided really great opportunities to see the aurora really all over the US.”
The solar maximum period is expected to last until early 2025, Rutt said. He added that there should be more opportunities to see the northern lights in action over the next few months as the days get darker. The best time to go out, he says, is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
Resel had similar advice for spotting the northern lights, “Be patient, the aurora can be very pesky sometimes. Sometimes you have to wait until almost 3 a.m. before it really gets good.”
Resel either uses his phone camera or a wide-lens digital camera to capture his photos. He added that he also travels outside of the city to get away from lights and cars which could obstruct the view of the lights.
“Try and see it at least once in your life because it is an incredible, incredible phenomenon,” he said. “It really gives you a sense of perspective on what we are and our earth and just our solar system overall.”
