The northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, are typically thought of as a geomagnetic spectacle exclusive to areas with higher latitudes such as Alaska, Iceland and Norway. However, on occasion, the aurora can be visible across middle and lower latitudes, including Colorado. 

As recently as Sunday, Sept. 14, the aurora was visible here in northern Colorado to the naked eye. “Aurora chasers” across the United States reported sightings after a brief G3-level geomagnetic storm hit the Earth. 

Auroral activity has been high over the past year as the sun entered a solar maximum last October. According to NASA, roughly every 11 years, the sun starts a new cycle of activity that peaks around the 5-year mark. Solar cycle 25, the current cycle, started in December 2019.

Though the absolute “peak” has passed, the sun is still in a high-activity phase, making auroras much more common across the middle latitudes. In fact, auroras have been spotted dozens of times in the middle latitudes of the United States during the current solar cycle.

“I have seen the aurora around 40 times now in the middle latitudes of the U.S. over four years,” said aurora enthusiast Christopher Wicklund. 

Being based in Omaha, Nebraska, a city with a latitude similar to that of northern Colorado, Wicklund has become quite seasoned in the field of aurora “chasing.”

“When solar cycle 25 started, a group of meteorologists took me out one night to see the aurora,” Wicklund said. “I wanted to continue to see more and be excited for the next auroral events.”

Over the course of the past 4 years, Wicklund has become familiar with the most efficient ways of tracking and forecasting auroras. He noted that the Space Weather Prediction Center, SpaceWeatherLive, and Vincent Ledvina are excellent resources – from accessing live chats that alert you about aurora sightings in the United States to accessing live readings from magnetometers and other magnetic field data that indicate auroral activity.

Once you know that the auroras are active in your area, going to a place with limited light pollution will be your best bet to view the spectacle.

“I was in Denver with my family when I saw the northern lights back in May of 2024,” said Ethan Lapham, a CSU student who saw aurora during a G-5 magnetic storm. “We drove about 20 minutes east of Aurora, Colorado, and it was just absolutely beautiful.”

In northern Colorado, the northern lights can be viewed more frequently than anywhere else in the state due to limited light pollution and a higher latitude. North of Fort Collins and anywhere in the northeastern plains will give you the best view.

 Though aurora can be seen with the naked eye, the colors are much more vivid through the lens of a camera.

“You can use a fancy camera, but I just used my iPhone camera’s long exposure option and got some incredible pictures,” Lapham said. 

If you want to see the northern lights in Colorado, you might just be in for a treat during this solar cycle.

“We’re still in an active period,” Lapham said. “If you get out to a place with limited light pollution and a clear view of the horizon, you’ll be able to see (auroras) much more than you might think.” 

Silas Rogers
The Ramspondents

South Timberline Road will close this weekend between East Mulberry Street (State Highway 14) to East Prospect Road. 

This closure will facilitate road repairs, including sealing cracks and asphalt maintenance. It will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 27-28, weather permitting. Work may extend outside these hours if needed and the city recommends using alternate routes to avoid the construction zone. 

Detours will be posted along Lemay Avenue and the I-25 Frontage Road to direct travel between Mulberry and Prospect. Pedestrian sidewalks along Timberline will remain open for the duration of the repairs, allowing access to the Poudre Trail and the Cache La Poudre River crossing to the east of Timberline. For more information about the Street Maintenance Program, please go to fcgov.com/smp or call the Streets Department at 970-221-6615. For a list of all active construction projects, go to: fcgov.com/construction.