NOAA National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

Time exposure of the Aurora Borealis November 2001 as seen from Vincennes, Indiana. The Aurora Borealis or more commonly called "Northern Lights" are thought to be the result of high charged solar particles interacting with the Earth's electromagnetic field. Higher than normal solar activity allowed the "Northern Lights" to be seen much further south than normal during October and November 2001. The bright sphere at the lower right hand part of the photograph is actually a full moon and not the sun as it would appear. This photo is courtesy of Sam Sievers, a COOP observer at Vincennes.