Maine

Northern Lights grace skies over part of Maine

The aurora borealis were captured Sunday night in northern Maine.

The National Weather Service bureau in Caribou posted a picture on on social media that showed the Northern Lights glowing in the skies Sunday night, Nov. 5, 2023.
National Weather Service Caribou

Some stargazers in northern Maine were treated to a special sight in the sky Sunday night.

The National Weather Service bureau in Caribou posted a picture on X, formerly known as Twitter, that showed the Northern Lights glowing in the skies across the runway to the north.

The phenomenon was also captured on the New England Outdoor Center's StarCam.

NWS Caribou had said earlier in the day that clouds would give way to a mainly clear sky Sunday night, with the best chance to see an aurora borealis between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m.

New England Outdoor Center StarCam

Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, are most often seen in Alaska, Canada and Scandinavia, but an 11-year solar cycle that's expected to peak in 2024 is making the lights visible in places farther to the south.

Northern Lights occur when a magnetic solar wind slams into the Earth's magnetic field and causes atoms in the upper atmosphere to glow. The lights appear suddenly and the intensity varies.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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