On October 10 the Northern Lights were visible in unusual places across the United States, including Powhatan Virginia. This included areas of Boston, New York, North Carolina, and other areas in Central Virginia. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, also known as the NOAA, has stated that this phenomenon was noticeable around the globe because of a large geometric storm. 

The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, occurs when a solar storm approaches Earth. NASA explains it as, “When a solar storm comes toward us, some of the energy and small particles can travel down the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles into Earth’s atmosphere. There, the particles interact with gasses in our atmosphere resulting in beautiful displays of light in the sky. Oxygen gives off green and red light. Nitrogen glows blue and purple.”

The NOAA is predicting that the Aurora Borealis will be visible in Alaska, Canada, and some of the Northern states along the US-Canadian border. Other places that commonly have the Northern Lights on display are Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and Greenland. As of now, it is unknown when or if Powhatan will see the Aurora Borealis again.