New Year's Northern Lights Delight Us as Strong Solar Storms Spark Northern Lights in Central US and Europe (Photos)

What a start to 2025!

While many celebrated New Year’s Eve with glittering fireworks, the earth took part in the celebrations with a natural spectacle of its own: the Northern lights.

A coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth’s magnetic field December 31st at 11:21am EST (16:21 GMT), triggered geomagnetic storm conditions and painted the night sky with vivid aurora displays as far away as California, the United States, Austria and Germany. The geomagnetic storms waxed and waned throughout the night, creating dynamic sky fireworks that lasted well into the new year.

What caused the strong northern lights?

When CMEs When they hit Earth’s magnetosphere, they bring with them electrically charged particles called ions that collide with them The Earth’s magnetic field. These collisions can trigger geomagnetic storms. During these storms, ions collide with atmospheric gases, releasing energy in the form of light. This creates the breathtaking phenomena known as the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis in the Northern Hemisphere and as the Southern Lights or Aurora Australis in the Southern Hemisphere.

Geomagnetic storms are classified on NOAA’s G scale from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). Although a G3 storm warning was issued for New Year’s Eve, G1 conditions prevailed most of the night, with G2 levels reported at 5:44 a.m. EST (10:44 GMT) on January 1. according to spaceweatherlive.com.

Is there more to come?

And it’s not over yet! The sun started 2025 with a bang, hurling a new CME our way Earthwhich could trigger more northern lights around January 3 and 4, according to space weather physicist Tamitha Skov.

“Our sun rings in the new year! We just had a new #solarstorm from region 3939 in the Earthstrike Zone,” Skov wrote in one Post on X.

Our sun rings in the new year! We just had a new #Solarstorm launch from Region 3939 in the Earth Strike Zone. (Watch dimming regions develop near the central sun.) Although the coronagraphs are faint so far, this could bring another chance for #Aurora on January 3rd and 4th! pic.twitter.com/ueLSSlP128January 1, 2025

But first, let’s take a look back at the incredible New Year’s Eve show with these spectacular Northern Lights photos.

Photographer Alex Nicodim celebrated the New Year with a stunning Northern Lights show over a ski slope in Levi, Finland.

Nicodim and other sky watchers celebrating the New Year were treated to an incredible Northern Lights display as tall columns of green and red auroras filled the sky in the early hours of January 1, 2025.

Northern lights over a ski slope fill the sky with red and green northern lights.

Sky watchers enjoy the north over a ski slope in Levi, Finland. (Image credit: Photo by Alex Nicodim/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Many sky watchers headed to X to post incredible photos of the Northern Lights on New Year’s Eve.

Simon Rennie managed to take this incredible photo of fireworks AND Northern Lights over New Year’s Eve in Finland.

Happy New YearHyvää uutta vuottaFrom Finnish Lapland#aurora#lappland pic.twitter.com/HRCEyGbUPgDecember 31, 2024

Aurora hunter Mia Stålnacke captured these adorable photos of the northern lights dancing alongside fireworks over Kiruna, Sweden.

“How the new year began here in Kiruna. With natural and artificial fireworks in the sky. I know which one I prefer.” Stålnacke wrote in a post on X.

How the new year began here in Kiruna. With natural and artificial fireworks in the sky. I know which one I prefer. pic.twitter.com/eXbS1wVqqFJanuary 1, 2025

Tour guide Halldor Sigurdsson recorded this impressive video of the Northern Lights and fireworks filling the sky over Reykjavik, Iceland.

#AuroraBorealis and #Fireworks at 11:57 p.m. in #Reykjavik in #Iceland. Temperature at minus 9°C (15°F). Happy New Year. @angie_weather @spann @bbcniweather @StephanieAbrams @Ginger_Zee #newyear @aurorawatchuk @wxbrad @barrabest #happynewyear @TamithaSkov pic.twitter.com/EhDIVm8D15January 1, 2025

An eagle-eyed aurora hunter spotted the northern lights as far south as the Mojave Desert in the USA

“Shockingly, this G1 substorm is now spotted low at 35 Lat in the Mojave Desert at 9:20 p.m. PST,” Blue Sky Aloha wrote in one Post on X.

Shockingly, this G1 substorm is being spotted right now at 9:20 PM PST at 35 Lat in the Mojave Desert @TamithaSkov @Vincent_Ledvina @SNHWx @SirlinJohn @edwanx @halocme pic.twitter.com/ejYS7h4MBfJanuary 1, 2025

Bad weather can happen a large part canceled There were numerous Hogmanay fireworks displays across Scotland, including Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations, but some lucky skywatchers were treated to an even more impressive show.

“What a way to ring in the New Year in beautiful Scotland! I wish you a happy and healthy year 2025,” Puja R. Mehta wrote in a post on X

What a way to ring in the New Year in beautiful Scotland! Wishing you a happy and healthy 2025 ☺️ #NewYear2025 #NorthernLights #Auroraborealis #Scotland pic.twitter.com/OONuAJgnViJanuary 1, 2025

Amateur photographer Gary McIntyre shared this beautiful view of the bright red Northern Lights over Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

“Happy New Year everyone! Mother Nature put up her own display for the bells. All the best for 2025!” McIntyre wrote in a post on X.

Happy New Year everyone! Mother Nature displayed her own bells. All the best for 2025! ❤️😘🙂🙏🏻 #love #northernlights #Aberdeenshire #Aurora #2025 #NewYear2025 #NewYear #Scotland #Insch pic.twitter.com/4NUGP2zbrtJanuary 1, 2025

The Northern Lights were also visible over the Austrian Alps, with faint red tones captured by webcams in St. Anton am Arlberg.

“Nice activity for 47°N considering the Kp was ~4 (below the storm threshold)!” Aurora chaser Jure Atanackov wrote in a post on X.

Another view of the Northern Lights over the Austrian Alps during the substorm at midnight CET (11:30 p.m. – 12:20 a.m. CET) – this time from Sankt Anton am Arlberg. Nice activity for 47°N considering the Kp was ~4 (below the storm threshold)! pic.twitter.com/JOFjMtHsr7January 1, 2025

Atanackov also shared webcam views of the Northern Lights from the Bavarian Zugspitz Railway in southern Germany.

“Central Europe performed quite well, although geomagnetic activity did not even reach the G1 storm threshold. If only Bz had been cheaper,” Atanackov said wrote on X.

Aurora around midnight (11:30 p.m. – 12:20 a.m. CET) from the Bavarian Zugspitze, southern Germany. Central Europe performed fairly well, although geomagnetic activity never reached the G1 storm threshold. If only Bz had been cheaper. pic.twitter.com/obNTdVLb2SJanuary 1, 2025

Editor’s note: If you want to capture a stunning photo or video of the Northern Lights (or Southern Lights!) and share it with Space.com for a possible story, submit images, comments about the view and your location, and use space photo permissions @space.com.

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New Year’s Northern Lights Delight Us as Strong Solar Storms Spark Northern Lights in Central US and Europe (Photos)

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