LOUISVILLE, Ky. — If you were lucky Thursday night, you may have gotten a stunning and rare look at the Northern Lights, also known at the Aurora Borealis.
The Northern Lights may be visible again in parts of central Kentucky and southern Indiana Friday night, however there is a much lower chance of witnessing the rare phenomenon. Although, there is still a chance.
Usually the Northern Lights are only able to be viewed in northern climates, but sometimes the conditions are all in place for us to get lucky and be able to see them.
What causes the Northern Lights?
The Northern Lights are a gorgeous and colorful site in our sky during the nighttime hours. It occurs when charged particles from the sun interact with the Earth's atmosphere. The "solar wind" carries the particles towards Earth from the sun.
Usually, solar flares and other solar activity triggers the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights happen when a "magnetic storm" is on display and the solar particles interact with Earth's magnetic field.
Best place to see Northern Lights in Kentucky, Indiana on Friday?
According to NOAA, the best areas of the United States to view the Northern Lights tonight are anywhere from the Upper Midwest to Great Lakes and the Northern Rockies.
Louisville and the rest of central Kentucky and southern Indiana are in a "low" chance to see the Northern Lights.
Thankfully, Mother Nature is on our side, as a clear sky Friday night will keep us in favor of seeing them at times.
But again remember, it will be a much smaller chance compared to Thursday night.
The Northern Lights are easiest to view outside of the city (usually in rural locations) and away from city lights and city light pollution. Unfortunately, lights make it tough to view the phenomenon.
The best place to see the Northern Lights in our region Friday night will be if in southern Indiana and outside of city limits.
Those in Kentucky can still potentially see the Northern Lights, but the rule of thumb is the further north you are, the better chance you will have.
Share your photos!
Make sure you take as many photos as you can, even if you cannot see them with the naked eye. Sometimes, the Northern Lights are so sensitive that they are only visible with cameras instead of easily visible with our eyes.
Therefore, in this case, phone cameras can do as much, if not more justice than with your eyes!
Be sure to share your photos in our Kentucky/Indiana Cloud Watchers group on Facebook.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.