Minnesota Northern Lights 2012: Aurora Borealis Lights Up North Star State (VIDEO)

The aurora borealis put on a dazzling show in more than a dozen states Monday night, according to SpaceWeather.com.

A particularly spectacular display was seen in Fergus Falls in western Minnesota, and Douglas Kiesling was on hand to film a stunning time-lapse video of the event, Minnesota Public Radio reports.

VIDEO AT TOP

Kiesling, a videographer specializing in documenting extreme weather, tweeted during the storm that he was witnessing among the best northern lights display he's ever seen:

@WxPaparazzi
Doug Kiesling

The roof the roof the freaking sky is on fire. Seeing some of the best #auroras of my life tonight.

April 24, 2012 6:25 am via txt Reply Retweet Favorite

According to the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, an aurora is caused by the collision of electrons from space with atoms and molecules of gases (like oxygen and nitrogen) in the Earth's atmosphere. This collision results in a transfer of energy to the oxygen's electrons, and, as a result, quick bursts of light are emitted. A great number of these collisions create the light that's visible to the naked eye.

The National Weather Service's Space Weather Prediction Center reports that a moderate geomagnetic storm occurred on Monday night. The geomagnetic storm was caused by a partial halo coronal mass ejection -- a burst of solar wind -- that occurred on April 19.

Another coronal mass ejection may pass Earth on Thursday, although the storm is predicted to be relatively minor.

For some great pictures of Monday night's aurora display over Lake Michigan, click over to Chicagoist.

GALLERY: MORE AMAZING AURORA PHOTOS

Comments

[2tru4u2c]

05:38 AM on 04/26/2012

To cool

[Cory Fechner]

03:06 AM on 04/26/2012

Mother Nature displayed a great light show up near Grand Marais, MN on Monday night.

Check out some photos I took here:
http://www.perfectduluthday.com/2012/04/25/minnesota-northern-lights/

[some1inPa]

10:43 PM on 04/25/2012

I grew up in northern Wis. and saw them many times. The most vivid one lit up over half the sky with rainbow colors. There is nothing that can capture the awesome beauty of the northern lights other than seeing it with your own eyes. For people that haven't seen them, put it on your bucket list. You won't be dissappointed.

[belldn3]

09:12 PM on 04/25/2012

It's ok.

[laserbob]

08:58 PM on 04/25/2012

This is a really good link to a NOAA site that will show you if you will be within visible range of the aurora at any given time.
http://helios.swpc.noaa.gov/ovation/USA.html
And of course, Space Weather always has great updates on what and where to expect just about anything unusual to appear in the sky's.
http://spaceweather.com/

[laserbob]

08:49 PM on 04/25/2012

I'm so jealous! I lived in Mn for about 20 years, and only saw "the lights" for a couple of days while in the Brainerd area in the late 70's. Now I actually live further north in Canada, but we never get to see them in our location, they always seem to fade away by the time we've worked our way into the maximum southern extension.

[Al Schrader]

07:37 PM on 04/25/2012

They appear at the magnetic poles because, that is where the Earth's magnetic field is the strongest. The "stuff" coming in is mostly iron from a nickel - iron asteroid that struck the Sun, and melted spreading across the Sun's surface some of which vaporized and blasted out into space.
The Earth's magnetic North pole "grabs" these iron atoms as they are passing the Earth. When the iron atoms collide with the noble gasses in the atmosphere, the gas atoms produce light, same as they do when collided by electrons in a neon gas tube light. ..Al-

[hotoldman]

03:17 PM on 04/25/2012

too bad there's not enough "wind" to turn that windmill.

[MNJim]

03:06 PM on 04/25/2012

The Aurora has been quite excellent this year. I've only seen it before in Winter, so this is unusual. Really beautiful.

[doru]

03:04 PM on 04/25/2012

Can't see the Lights, but feeling their electromagnetic dance way down here in the Carolinas.

[VonTeshyn]

03:02 PM on 04/25/2012

Yep, seeing the Borealis live is on my bucket list.

[Bradleeeeeee]

02:59 PM on 04/25/2012

I miss all that my home state has to offer. Except mosquitoes and humidity. But lakes, water, four seasons, the Northern Lights, loons, and how green it is, I miss it all.

[retrievals]

03:13 PM on 04/25/2012

I'm stuck here and from the DC, you can have it back.

[Bradleeeeeee]

03:12 AM on 04/26/2012

Sucker! I never said I missed living there, only the good things about it.

[Ice woman]

02:48 PM on 04/25/2012

I attended U of MN and saw the lights one night and thought it was gorgeous.

My crazy roomie on the other hand thought it was a ship breaking the horizon and we were about to be invaded by aliens. LOL!

[boxerbuddy4]

02:47 PM on 04/25/2012

I would like to see this in person. Very cool!

[Seabeeisback]

02:42 PM on 04/25/2012

Way cool, first time I saw them I had just left a bar and was peeing on the side of a van when I looked up and noticed them. Kind of had me wondering if something got slipped in my drinks.