Aurora borealis made a rare appearance in Colorado, setting skies ablaze

Camille Fine, USA TODAY
·2 min read
Jeff Stahla captured this image of the Northern Lights from Horsetooth Reservoir outside of Fort Collins, Colo., about 1 a.m. Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.
Jeff Stahla captured this image of the Northern Lights from Horsetooth Reservoir outside of Fort Collins, Colo., about 1 a.m. Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.

In the wee hours of Sunday night into early Monday morning, a powerful solar eruption set skies in the United States ablaze with a rare Northern Lights appearance.

The National Weather Service tweeted that Sunday's rare show, which was photographed in Colorado and Washington, was one of the best chances in a long time to see the aurora borealis, or the northern lights, thanks to clear skies and a strong geomagnetic storm.

The phenomenon is always present near the poles, but large solar flares can cause the lights to occasionally show up in the continental U.S.

Local meteorologist Michael Charnick captured images of red and green “pillars” about 10 miles north of Fort Collins shortly before midnight.

"Going absolutely nuts now … Did not expect this,'' he wrote in a Tweet.

Jeff Stahla of Loveland told The Coloradoan, part of USA Today's network, that he went to the north end of Horsetooth Reservoir to photograph the show.

He said he vividly remembers a bigger show when he was a child growing up in Weld County, Colo., in the 1970s.

"That one was a much more pronounced aurora borealis over Colorado,'' he said. "It was so vivid that folks in Denver thought something happened at the (Fort St. Vrain) nuclear power plant near Platteville.''

The storm Sunday night into Monday morning was rated as strong while the storm Monday night into Tuesday morning was rated moderate.

An aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is seen in the night sky on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, next to grain elevators near Washtucna, Wash.
An aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is seen in the night sky on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, next to grain elevators near Washtucna, Wash.

More: NASA shares 'spectacular" image of the southern lights from International Space Station

Stunning aurora borealis displays also lit up skies across the U.K., from as far south as the iconic Stonehenge monument,  and droves of skywatchers shared their photos with reports of sightings on social media.

Northern Lights forecast

Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning aurora predictions forecasted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center show a low likelihood of visibility in many of the states that border Canada.

Want to try and catch the next display and learn more tips on how to view the Northern Lights? Visit NOAA's website and click on their forecast maps.

An aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is seen in the night sky on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, near Washtucna, Wash.
An aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is seen in the night sky on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, near Washtucna, Wash.
Lights from a passing vehicle on State Route 26 are tracked in this timed camera exposure as an aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is seen in the night sky on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, near Washtucna, Wash.
Lights from a passing vehicle on State Route 26 are tracked in this timed camera exposure as an aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is seen in the night sky on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, near Washtucna, Wash.
An aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is seen in the night sky as clouds move in above a roadside landmark known as "That NW Bus" in the early morning hours of Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Washtucna, Wash.
An aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is seen in the night sky as clouds move in above a roadside landmark known as "That NW Bus" in the early morning hours of Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Washtucna, Wash.

Camille Fine is a trending visual producer on USA TODAY's NOW team. 

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Northern Lights: Aurora borealis seen in rare Colorado, US show