Veterans Day Aurora Display

 

Almost as if to honor our veterans on Veterans Day evening, November 11, 2025, the skies were alight from a dazzling aurora (Northern Lights) display, generated from a severe G4 X5.1-class solar flare and a powerful coronal mass ejection (CME). The populace was put on alert a day or two before its arrival, and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) issued a geomagnetic storm watch in the hours before the event. Checking my Aurora Alerts app on my phone just before 7:00 pm, I could see it was time to head out with my camera and tripod (and warm clothing, for temps were in the lower 40s F). I selected one of my favorite locations for spotting (White Road at North Marion Road-- 42° 6'59.80"N,  91°35'57.94"W-- about 2.5 miles north of Marion, Iowa and looking away from city lights). The image above, captured at 7:35 pm CST, looks north and is a 1.6 second exposure at f/4, ISO 2000, 24mm focal length, and shows the geomagnetic storm already well under way. All other photos this night were captured at f/4, ISO 2000 and 24mm focal length.

7:38 pm. Reds and greens of the display are very evident looking north.  1.6 second exposure.

7:41 pm. Looking northwest. Some of the detached aurora "puffs" resembled green cumulus clouds (the sky was clear as a bell). 1.3 second exposure. 

Aurora Alerts app for 7:41 pm showing the severe intensity aurora (red). 

7:45 pm. Looking north. 1.3 second exposure.

7:48 pm. Looking northwest. 1.3 second exposure.

8:19 pm. Looking northwest. 1 second exposure.

8:30 pm. Looking north. 1 second exposure.

8:30 pm. Looking north. Strong activity. This aurora includes a brief pinkish band. 1 second exposure.

8:33 pm Aurora Alerts image

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8:39 pm. Looking north. 1 second exposure.

8:41. Looking north. 1 second exposure. 

8:46 pm. Looking north (North Marion Road at center). 1.6 second exposure.

9:12 pm. Looking north. 0.6 second exposure.

9:13 pm. The aurora display was so vivid even my iPhone 11 camera picked it up (shown). This image looks straight up.

9:13 pm. Similar image to the one above it. At this stage the storm was very intense as the red streamers reached all the way up the zenith in the sky. Looking toward the northwest. 0.6 second exposure.

9:15 pm. Looking west. Some of the many motorists who came out to this area to view the show--and it started to bug me because of all the excess traffic coming and going and their bright headlights. The number of cars parked alongside the road reminded me of a storm chaser convergence. Normally this area never fields more than a few cars in a couple of hours time at night. 2.5 second exposure.

9:17 pm. Looking west. Greens and reds aloft. 2.5 second exposure.

9:18 pm. Similar image. 1.6 second exposure. 

9:19 pm. Looking north. 1.6 second exposure.

9:19 pm. Similar image. 1.6 second exposure.

9:25 pm. Looking north. 1.6 second exposure.

9:34 pm. Looking east. This image includes the constellations Taurus (upper right), and Orion (lower right). By this time the storm had begun to weaken some, losing its bright red colors, so it was time for me to head back home to process my aurora captures. A little chilled but non-the-less happy at having seen the show. Nikon Z6ii camera.