Will the Northern Lights be Visible in the Evansville Area Tonight?

If you missed the incredible views of the northern lights in the Evansville area last night, you might have another chance to see them on November 12th.

The northern lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, are typically something that folks in the northernmost parts of North America get to see. It's a bucket-list item for many folks who aren't accustomed to seeing them regularly. Seeing the northern lights is something that I have always wanted to see. We've had the chance to see them a few times in recent memory here in the Evansville area, but each time, I failed to see them. I must be doing something wrong, I guess.

Get our free mobile app

What Are The Northern Lights?

The Aurora Borealis is a result of geomagnetic storms caused by the sun. Essentially, Earth's sky has charged particles from the sun that collide with gases in Earth's atmosphere. This collision causes the gases to emit light that creates a beautiful light show that dances in the night sky.

Northern Lights in the Evansville Area on Tuesday, November 11th

Forecasters issued a severe G4 geomagnetic storm watch for Tuesday, November 11th, which is apparently pretty rare. As a result, last night, folks here in the Tri-State were treated to some great views that some would consider "once in a lifetime" from the northern lights. I didn't get the chance to see them because, well, I fell asleep. However, a lot of you were able to capture some breathtaking images of them last night to share with us. You can check those out in the post below.

If you're like me and missed the northern lights last night, there's still a chance to catch them in the Evansville area tonight.

Will the Northern Lights Be Visible in the Evansville Area on November 12th?

As it turns out, those same G4 levels are expected tonight. According to Eyewitness News Chief Meteorologist Wayne Hart, another strong CME (coronal mass ejection) is expected to arrive this afternoon and may still be active enough this evening to produce another display of the northern lights here in the Evansville area. If you want to try to catch a glimpse, you are going to want to look to the north after sunset. There's a high possibility that they will be visible to the naked eye once again tonight. However, you will be able to see the colors much better through your phone camera.

How to Capture the Northern Lights on Your Camera

If, by chance, we can't see them with the naked eye, there's still hope that your camera or your phone might be able to capture the northern lights. Evansville/Vanderburgh County Emergency Management Agency shared some information on how you can set your camera/phone to capture the auroras. You can see that below: