Minnesotans Share Stunning Photos of Weekend’s Northern Lights
The Northern Lights were out and visible this past weekend.
Clear skies around Minnesota this past weekend made for ideal conditions to view the Northern Lights, and photos shared by some Minnesotans in the Minnesota thread of Reddit reveal just how stunning the Aurora Borealis was.
"Took a jaunt up to Gooseberry tonight!" said Reddit user u/jakeuten of his photo.
(If photo above does not show, refresh page or click here)
"Northern lights from last night in Crane Lake," Reddit user u/tcmisfit captioned his photo. "Absolutely stunning."
Northern lights from last night in Crane Lake. Absolutely stunning. from r/minnesota
(If photo above does not show, refresh page or click here)
"Northern Lights make another appearance tonight near Pelican Rapids, MN," reads the caption of u/loomis396's photo.
Northern Lights make another appearance tonight. Near Pelican Rapids, MN. from r/minnesota
(If photo above does not show, refresh page or click here)
According to Rove.me, the best season to see the Northern Lights in Minnesota is the "long, starry nights of fall and winter," broadly considered between September and February. While mid-March may be considered out of season, weather conditions -- including solar flares and solar wind -- play a huge role in seeing the lights.
While Minnesota as a whole is a great state to view the Northern Lights, some of the best areas to view from according to Explore Minnesota are:
- Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW)
- Cook County
- Voyageurs National Park (recently certified as an International Dark Sky Park)
- Lake of the Woods and the Northwest Angle
Park Rapids, St. Cloud, Stillwater, Lake City, Mankato and Rochester are also included as areas outside of Northern Minnesota for decent Aurora Borealis gazing.
Have you ever seen the Northern Lights from Minnesota? Where's the best place you've seen them?
7 Countries That Are Roughly the Same Size as Minnesota