Bergen And Hudson County Residents Posted Photos Of Northern Lights. Will They Return?

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Residents around North Jersey briefly glimpsed the Northern Lights Tuesday night when the colors became visible amid the clouds. Experts say the colorful celestial display may be seen again Wednesday night. See timing below. READ MORE: Northern Lights In NJ: Powerful Storm Peaks Wednesday

In Bergen County, a resident said online that he got a glimpse of the "faint red color."

And a Glen Rock native who's a science teacher took photos showing the faint reds and greens. See her photo below.

This map from the NOAA shows where the lights may be seen.

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"I put my phone on long exposure and got very lucky that the clouds broke to grab a few or as my son said, about 1,000 shots !" said Hope Foley. "I am a science teacher, and can't wait to show my students!"

The lights, caused by a powerful G4-rated geomagnetic storm, are the strongest since October of last year, when the display was also glimpsed far South. If the storms continue again Wednesday evening, residents of 24 states may see the colors again, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Appearance In Hoboken

The lights also appeared briefly Tuesday night in Hudson County after 10 p.m., when the Kp rose above 8 in the area. This was the sky above Hoboken:

By 10:18 p.m., the colors were gone.

But When?

The Aurora app shows when viewing the display is most likely. The chances of seeing the lights are best with a Kp index of at least 5, the Washington Post wrote in a story about aurora borealis tourism.

For Wednesday night, the Kp was forecast to reach 8.33 around 10 p.m. in North Jersey, the Aurora app said. Thursday night might see another Kp of 8, the app said.

The National Weather Service offers predictions for the next two days, showing a map of where the lights may be seen.

The 27-day forecasts are here. Forecasts for the next 1-3 days are here.

The lights can be glimpsed any time after dusk, but are usually seen later at night. Cloudy skies may obscure the view, but the forecast is for some clearing on Sunday and clear skies on Monday.

How To Snap A Photo

To snap a photo of the lights, face north and use a slow shutter speed if you can. Sometimes the display can't be seen with the naked eye, but can be seen if you turn up the exposure on the photo.

Last year, the National Weather Service in Mt. Holly shared this photo around 7:15 p.m. on Oct. 10. Residents from across the state weighed in with photos they took of the colorful skies.

🤩 Here is our view of the aurora borealis (northern lights from our office around 7:15 PM! What are you seeing at your location? pic.twitter.com/F4DiNKaDsQ
— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) October 10, 2024

Why All Of A Sudden?

The display of lights, also called aurora borealis, appeared to the naked eye in Canada and northern parts of the U.S. last year because the sun was at the peak of an 11-year cycle, scientists said. During this "solar maximum," heightened geomagnetic storming increases the chances of seeing the aurora south of its usual Arctic range.

This year could also offer colors as Solar Cycle 25 reaches its peak, scientists say.

With more people on social media now than during the last solar maximum — which was back in 2013 — and more reading news sites and using apps such as Aurora, the word has been spreading rapidly about the brilliant displays, and photographers now post their images all across social media.

Those who wait all their lives to see the lights can head a few hours north if they want to take their best shots.

The chances of seeing lights generally increase around the fall equinox, when the sun produces a surplus of geomagnetic storms, almost twice the annual average.

See the photos that Patch readers in New Jersey captured last October.