Iowans Show Off Their Beautiful Northern Lights Photos [GALLERY]

Well, it appears that ONCE AGAIN, I'm the only person in Iowa that DIDN'T see the northern lights! I blame it on the fact that I go to bed super early...

What Are the Northern Lights?

Formally known as the aurora borealis, the northern lights are a natural phenomenon featuring bursts of vibrant colors in rippling and arcing patterns across the night sky. According to Discover the World, "they usually occur between 60 and 75 degrees of latitude, which covers northern parts of Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Alaska and Russia as well as all of Iceland." The northern lights are typically visible from late August through mid-April and are strongest between the hours of 9 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Why Do They Occur?

Since I am DEFINITELY not a scientist, I'm going to let the folks from Discover the World explain the cause of the aurora borealis. The website reads:

"[The northern lights] appear when highly charged solar wind particles flowing from the sun collide with air molecules in the earth’s atmosphere transferring their energy into light. This occurs around the Polar Regions where those magnetic fields converge. These magnetic fields create auroral ovals around the top and bottom of our planet which move and distort as the earth rotates and solar flare activity increases."

Got it? Good.

Why Were They Visible in Iowa?

Seeing the Northern Lights here in the Midwest is a pretty rare occurrence, although it has happened several times in recent years. Earlier this week, news stations all over the country began alerting Americans that they would likely have an opportunity to see the aurora borealis in the night sky on Tuesday, November 11th, and again on Wednesday, November 12th. KCRG reports that the reason for their visibility here in Iowa is strong solar storms.

Photos From Iowa

Although I missed the northern lights this week, there are TONS of other Iowans that captured some of the magic! Here are some of the photos submitted to us by listeners on Facebook:

Did you happen to take a beautiful photo of the northern lights in Iowa this week? Share them with us in the comments or by sending us a message on our station app!

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