Lights on the northern horizon.

Northern
Horizon Lights

September 10, 2026 Itasca County, MN Kp 2+
© 2026 Bob Conzemius / TornadoBob.com
Aurora account

The Night

Bz was slightly southward, the skies were clear, and the moon phase was conducive to some nighttime/starry skies photography. I decided to head north out of town.

This really has not been a summer/fall for aurora photography in Minnesota. While I do know that we are in the declining phase of Solar Cycle 25, the weaker Solar Cycle 24 had MUCH stronger activity at this point in its cycle. There were more flares and more coronal holes. Cycle 25 seems to be declining much more rapidly than 24 did. Rarely do we get Bz less than -2 nT, and when we do, it's during the day.

The Milky Way
Looking south at the Milky Way and Grand Rapids.
Auroral glow
This was the best the aurora could do.
Photo slideshow
Arrow keys to navigate  ·  Click any thumbnail to jump