Could Arizona see the northern lights again this weekend? What to know

The aurora borealis is visiting the Grand Canyon State again, if you know where and how to look for it.

October 11, 2024

Image: A photo of the purple northern lights outside of Eagar in northeastern Arizona.

A photo of the northern lights outside of Eagar in northeastern Arizona. Robert Ray/R&M Photography

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From Tucson to Apache Junction to Peoria to Flagstaff, Arizona saw glimpses of the purple Aurora Borealis light show Thursday night. An encore showing is expected in the northern regions of the state Friday night.

This is the second time this year Arizonans have enjoyed a glimpse of the northern lights. They were previously visible in May.

The amazing light show is a product of a coronal mass ejection after an outburst from the sun on Wednesday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A solar storm causing the phenomenon hit Earth Thursday morning and is expected to continue into Friday.

NOAA has issued a G3 Geomagnetic Storm Warning, which could very likely affect power grids and satellite and GPS systems where the geomagnetic activity of the light show is most active.

While NOAA’s map of the Aurora Borealis showed the northern lights running through Utah, Colorado and Missouri — and not Arizona — the lights have still been spotted in Arizona.

So where can Arizonans see the lights? Our advice: Go north. The lights can be spotted on the northern horizon at around 8 p.m., according to 12News. A camera, higher elevation and a low amount of light pollution will also help you catch a glimpse.

And if you miss it, plenty of social media users in the Valley took pictures for you:

Mt. Elden, Flagstaff last night. pic.twitter.com/wjBMv7aeF2
— Ryan Randazzo (@utilityreporter) October 11, 2024

The northern lights put on quite a show last night across northern Arizona. Here was our view of the San Francisco Peaks around 1 am. #azwx pic.twitter.com/mNbcaokK2I
— NWS Flagstaff (@NWSFlagstaff) October 11, 2024

Northern lights over Arizona 🌵 pic.twitter.com/A1ew2iVR47
— Ash Hammerel (@AshleighHammere) October 11, 2024

Aurora borealis (northern lights) visible from Peoria, AZ 🌠

📸: Justin Hobbs @abc15 pic.twitter.com/kGEbrpkh4P
— Jorge Torres (@JorgeTWeather) October 11, 2024

Tonight, I got to see the #NorthernLights for the first time in my life! I drove as far north as possible on Thornydale Rd, through the tunnel, to Saguaro Ranch to capture these shots. They're definitely not the best (taken with my phone) but still such a treat! #Tucson pic.twitter.com/v5N7GsNJ2i
— Dan Marries (@DanMarriesKOLD) October 11, 2024

Morgan Fischer joined Phoenix New Times as a staff writer in July 2024, covering all things Phoenix and Arizona news. Before joining New Times, Morgan has worked as a national politics intern at The Arizona Republic and as a reporter for News21, among other positions. She holds degrees in journalism and mass communication and political science from Arizona State University, where she also attended Barrett, The Honors College.

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