GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Many around the metro witnessed quite a show overnight as the northern lights were visible to the naked eye for parts of Minnesota, including the Twin Cities late Thursday night and early Friday morning.
National Weather Service - Twin Cities tweeted a photo of the greenish/blue tint over Chanhassen just before 10:30 pm.
Several others around the state posted photos on social media of the stunning show, including KARE 11 photojournalist David Peterlinz, who captured several images just south of Milaca.
Paula Stahn-Johnson tweeted a photo of her view from Isanti County.
Dr. John Zobitz was able to see the show from the northern suburbs.
Jessica Powers took in light show from North Branch.
And Kelly Nason posted a photo from Deer Run.
KARE 11 meteorologist Laura Betker says the northern lights occur when electrons from the sun react with the gases in the atmosphere, creating the nighttime phenomenon.
Darker skies make for the best viewing conditions, therefore, they're not always visible around the Twin Cities. For the best chance of seeing the northern lights, experts say get away from the city to a spot that has a clear view of the northern horizon.
PHOTOS: Northern lights over Minnesota
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more WeatherMinds:
Watch the latest deep-dives and explainers on weather and science in our YouTube playlist: