If you missed last night’s sky show, don’t worry, Long Islanders might get another shot tonight. The Northern Lights could return Wednesday night, November 12th as a powerful solar storm continues to charge Earth’s atmosphere, extending one of the strongest aurora displays seen in decades.
On Tuesday, residents from Sound Beach to Orient Point were treated to a rare sight: streaks of pink, green, and violet dancing above the Long Island Sound. The dazzling display came courtesy of a G4-level geomagnetic storm, one step below the most extreme rating, triggered by multiple eruptions from the Sun known as coronal mass ejections, or CMEs.
Click to find six observatories on Long Island where you can view the night sky!
As the storm’s next wave approaches, forecasters say the colorful auroras could stretch even farther south, meaning Long Island’s skies might glow again tonight if the clouds cooperate. The same conditions that caused last night’s auroras, charged solar particles colliding with Earth’s magnetic field, remain active, with experts calling this one of the most energetic solar events in years.
Tonight on Long Island, temperatures will hover in the mid-40s with a brisk breeze, and skies that start off mostly cloudy should gradually clear after 8 p.m. Conditions are expected to turn partly cloudy overnight, good news for anyone hoping to spot the Northern Lights again. With no rain in the forecast and improving visibility later in the evening, your best chance to catch the aurora will be after sunset, especially along the North Shore where the horizon faces darkest to the north.
For the lucky few who had clear skies, faint hues were visible to the naked eye in places like Huntington and the East End, while photographers in Orient captured vivid shots of the glowing horizon. Others, of course, ran into the age-old Long Island problem: clouds.
The aurora borealis forms when charged particles from the Sun strike oxygen and nitrogen high in the atmosphere, releasing bursts of light. Normally confined to the Arctic, the phenomenon can extend far south during major solar storms, bringing a taste of the polar night to our coastal backyard.
Enjoy this timelapse video from Reddit from last night’s aurora on Long Island:
Long Island 11/11 With Clouds
byu/puggles123654 inAuroraBorealis
So, if the skies clear after dark tonight, grab your camera and look north. The next great Long Island light show might already be on its way.
To catch the Northern Lights tonight, head somewhere dark with an open view of the northern horizon, away from streetlights. Beaches, parks, or high overlooks along the North Shore are ideal. Let your eyes adjust for at least 10 minutes. For photos, use your phone’s night mode or a manual camera app if available. Set the ISO between 800–1600, lower the exposure to about 3–6 seconds, and keep the phone steady on a tripod or solid surface. A little patience (and clear skies) can turn a faint glow into a stunning shot.
Photo: Northern Lights seen in Rocky Point.
