MINNEAPOLIS — One month after the northern lights captured the imagination of people across Minnesota, photographers were out overnight Sunday to capture evidence of the phenomenon once again.
Though nights like this can be a bit unpredictable, the odds of them happening are increasing.
"It's not a coincidence that we've seen two really good shows in the last month," said KARE11 meteorologist Ben Dery. "The sun goes on these 11-year cycles where we see a higher number of sunspots and then a lower number of sunspots. Traditionally, the more sunspots you see, the more activity bursts from the sun, the more of these solar storms happen."
The latest light show was thanks to a geomagnetic storm that started with a solar flare — AKA coronal mass ejection (CME) — that happened 93 million miles away from Earth on Friday. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center, events like it are happening more due to Solar Cycle 25.
"This theoretically isn't supposed to peak until mid-2025," Dery said. "So the fact that we're seeing all of these coronal mass ejections now, is a pretty good indicator that things might be pretty wild over the next year or so."
But keep in mind, successfully forecasting when solar flares actually flare up into impressive northern lights shows can also vary wildly.
Kent Erdahl: "Is it a tough thing for even the space experts to predict?"
Dery: "It really is because you need the right set of ingredients in place. Just like getting a tornado and a thunderstorm — we don't always know that that's going to happen."
If you're looking for tips to see or capture images of the northern lights, KARE11 spoke to photographer Ben Sunne, who has captured some stunning timelapse videos, photos and even a few portraits featuring the northern lights.
He suggests following the NOAA forecasts and joining Facebook groups like Upper Midwest Aurora Chasers, which offer a way for experienced photographers to share tips and knowledge.
"I had never really seen the northern lights before I started photographing them five years ago, and these last ones have been the best I have ever seen," Sunne said.
Ben, who lives near International Falls, says persistence and patience are key.
"You just kind of have to take your shots," he said. "You may not see the northern lights, and you may see them. It's unpredictable and I live in one of the best areas for it and it's still pretty unpredictable."
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