Northern Lights Over Harlan: The Most Vivid Display Yet

The brightest aurora of this solar cycle painted Southwest Iowa's skies in brilliant Cyclone red Tuesday night

If you stepped outside Tuesday night, November 11, you witnessed the northern lights dancing across our Iowa sky in vibrant waves of red, green, and purple. And if you've been lucky enough to catch the aurora during previous events this year—back in May or October 2024—you immediately knew something was different.

This wasn't just another northern lights display. This was the brightest, most colorful aurora many of us have ever seen from Iowa. While forecasters predicted peak viewing between 10 PM and 2 AM, the show started early—with stunning displays visible as soon as darkness fell. Exceptional red auroras lit up photos across our area—an almost perfect cosmic display of Cyclone colors above Harlan.

The Cyclone Red Show

If you saw the northern lights in May or October 2024, you know those were memorable. But Tuesday night was different—the red was exceptionally vivid, dominating the display in a way that immediately stood out.

When auroras reach mid-latitudes like Iowa, we're often seeing the top portions—the highest altitude emissions that show up red. But Tuesday night's intensity? That told us something extraordinary was happening.

The Science Behind the Colors

When charged particles from the sun collide with oxygen and nitrogen in our upper atmosphere, they release energy as visible light. The color depends on which gas gets hit and at what altitude:

• Green (60-150 miles up) - The most common aurora color globally, from oxygen at lower altitudes
• Red (150-250 miles up) - From oxygen at very high altitudes; rare in the far north but common at our latitude during major storms
• Blue and purple (below 60 miles) - Nitrogen at the lowest altitudes, usually at the bottom edges
• Pink - A beautiful mix of red and blue/purple at the border zones

The fact that Tuesday night's red was so intense and visible with our naked eyes (not just through long-exposure photos) meant this was an exceptionally powerful storm. And it's almost as if the cosmos decided to put on a show in Harlan Cyclone red—a fitting coincidence for our community.

What Made It So Powerful

Over three days, the sun unleashed three increasingly powerful eruptions toward Earth. The final one—early Tuesday morning—was the strongest solar eruption of 2025, sending billions of tons of magnetized plasma hurtling toward us at over 4 million miles per hour.

The fascinating twist? Scientists predicted the first two eruptions might collide and merge in space—creating what's called a "cannibal CME"—before the biggest one caught up with them. It was like a cosmic one-two-three punch.

When everything arrived Tuesday night, forecasters issued what's called a G4 (Severe) geomagnetic storm watch—on a scale where G1 is minor and G5 is extreme. G4 storms are powerful enough to push the aurora dramatically southward, which is why we could see from Harlan what usually stays in Canada and Alaska.

Why Now—But Still Rare

We're in Solar Cycle 25's maximum phase—the sun's most active period. The May 2024 storm was Iowa's first G4 watch since 2005, opening up this new era of aurora viewing. We've had a few chances since then, but these events are still rare—even during solar maximum.

Think of it this way: seeing the northern lights from Iowa went from "once every couple decades" to "a few times a year if conditions align." Tuesday night was the standout display of this active period.

Did You Know? While powerful geomagnetic storms can affect power grids and GPS in some areas, we didn't experience any power outages here in Harlan during Tuesday night's event. Our infrastructure held strong while we enjoyed the show.

Capturing the Show

If you pulled out your smartphone Tuesday night, you likely discovered something surprising: your camera could see colors your eyes couldn't. Modern phone cameras in night mode detect aurora hues invisible to human vision, often revealing vivid colors where you might have only seen faint gray or white bands.

The best photos came from using a tripod or stable surface, enabling night mode, increasing ISO settings (800-3200), and setting longer exposures (5-15 seconds). Finding spots away from city lights with clear northern horizons helped too.

But here's the thing: Tuesday night's red auroras were so intense that even without optimal settings, many of us captured stunning images. Just another sign of how powerful this storm was.

Looking Ahead

NOAA forecasters predicted storm conditions could continue into Wednesday, November 13, giving Harlan residents potential additional viewing opportunities (weather and clouds permitting).

And while we can't predict exactly when the next display will occur, space weather forecasts are available through NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. During this active solar period, it's worth keeping an eye on these forecasts—you never know when the next vivid display might paint our skies in Cyclone colors again.

Share Your Northern Lights Photos!

Did you capture Tuesday night's aurora? We want to see your photos!

Whether you shot them from your backyard, a country road, or anywhere around Harlan and Shelby County, send us your northern lights pictures to info@harlaninsider.com. If you captured photos during previous displays in 2024, we'd love to see how Tuesday night compared.

Your images could be featured in an upcoming article or showcased on our social media channels. Send your photos and tell us where you were when you captured them!

This was the standout aurora display of this solar cycle for our area. For many of us who've been fortunate enough to see the northern lights from Iowa multiple times this year, Tuesday night will be the one we remember most.