All-Sky AurorasIf the devil went down to Georgia this week, he must have traded in his fiddle for blood-red auroras. A cloud of charged particles from the sun slammed into Earth Monday, setting off an intense geomagnetic storm that spawned northern lights across the U.S.—even in the Deep South. Sky shows were reported in more than half the 50 states, including Georgia, Alabama, and Arkansas, according to Spaceweather.com.Seen in the picture above, the auroral display in Michigan featured the familiar green curtains of light tinged with deep red. According to photographer Shawn Malone, the auroras filled the sky in all directions, even toward the south, offering the best light show he's seen since 2004.Farther south, the northern lights more often appeared as rare, all-red auroras.(Related pictures: "Multicolored Auroras Sparked by Double Sun Blast" [August 2011].)—by National Geographic News staff
Photograph courtesy Shawn Malone

Aurora Pictures: Rare Northern Lights Seen in U.S. South

In a rare treat for sky-watchers, an intense geomagnetic storm Monday spawned blood-red auroras as far south as Georgia.

October 26, 2011