Northern lights dance above campus

Those who got outside after about 9 p.m. on Thursday night enjoyed a show in the sky as the aurora borealis danced above campus. An eruption of solar material led to the northern lights venturing further south than usual, and they showed up again on Friday night. The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center had issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch.

The northern lights provided a beautiful backdrop for the Carillon Tower, now draped in its fall colors.

The Carillon Tower, wrapped in red and green vines, stands in front of a colorful display of the aurora borealis, or "northern lights," in the nighttime sky at the University of Wisconsin–Madison during a strong solar storm at 9:27:44 PM on Oct. 10, 2024. (Photo by Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison) Photo by: Althea Dotzour

Northern lights are visible in the sky behind an observatory dome and an oak tree.

Washburn Observatory is framed by the branches of an oak tree and the nighttime sky on Oct. 10. Photo by: Althea Dotzour

A woman in the foreground holds a phone to take pictures of lights in the nighttime sky, visible in the background.

People stand on Observatory Hill looking out over Lake Mendota to watch the aurora borealis in the nighttime sky on Thursday. Photo by: Althea Dotzour

The display was due to an eruption of solar material, and the NOAA even issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch. Photo by: Althea Dotzour

People stand on a well-lit terrace, with the dark night sky behind them. The sky is lit up by northern lights.

People line the Memorial Union Terrace and piers to watch the northern lights. Photo by: Jeff Miller

A nighttime view of a lake, with a pier jutting out into it, and colorful lights in the nighttime sky being reflected in the water.

The northern lights were reflected in Lake Mendota. Photo by: Jeff Miller

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Photo gallery Northern lights dance above campus