From the Northern Skies to Florida: The Unexpected Journey of the Aurora Borealis

Sorrento, Florida 11/11/25

A powerful solar storm just lit up the skies with northern lights in places you’d never expect—yes, even Florida. That’s the third time Floridians have caught the aurora borealis in 2024. If you want to catch a glimpse, experts say your best bet is to find the darkest spot you can, then scan the low northern horizon. The lights are back, and it never gets old.

Meteorologists predicted the aurora would reach almost two dozen states as a strong solar storm rolled in starting Tuesday, Nov. 11. Turns out, the aurora put on an even bigger show than expected. Photos of Florida’s night sky glowing pink—on a chilly night, no less—started popping up all over social media. People in the Sunshine State saw their third round of northern lights this year.

“Uh did not expect to see the aurora from northern Tallahassee this evening,” wrote Wright Dobbs, a forecaster at the National Weather Service, on X. “Faintly visible to the naked eye as an extremely dim red glow. Long 25s exposure here and edit to bring out the color captured by the camera.”

The light show stretched from the Emerald Coast all the way down to Orlando, with pink skies spotted in Marianna, Tallahassee, Crawfordville, Bryceville, Titusville, and more. Florida’s already seen the aurora twice this year—once in October, right after Hurricane Milton tore through central Florida, and again in May, just after the Tallahassee tornado outbreak. This time, the lights were a little softer—no wild weather, just a snap of cold and a freeze warning before the sky came alive.

NOAA’s latest aurora forecast showed at least 21 states had a shot at seeing the lights, with the best viewing window stretching into Wednesday, Nov. 12. According to NOAA, the aurora usually shows up between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Central Time. If you missed it Tuesday, don’t worry—you might get another chance Wednesday night. A coronal mass ejection sent a wave of plasma and charged particles toward Earth, leading NOAA’s Space Prediction Center to issue a rare G4 geomagnetic storm watch into the evening of Nov. 12.

The science behind these glowing skies? It’s the dance between Earth’s magnetic field and the sun’s plasma, as the National Weather Service explains.

Want to see the northern lights for yourself?

Head somewhere dark—far from city lights. Think rural backroads, state parks, or open farmland. Look low on the northern horizon; the aurora won’t be right overhead. Stay up late, maybe between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., though the lights can surprise you earlier or later. Sometimes you won’t spot much with your eyes, but your camera might catch the colors anyway, especially with a long exposure.

Trying to snap a photo? Here’s what to do:

If you’ve got a DSLR or mirrorless camera:

- Use a tripod.

- Switch to manual mode.

- Try a 10–15 second exposure, set a wide aperture (like f/2.8), and use a high ISO (1600–3200).

- Focus manually on a distant star or light.

On your phone:

- Use Night Mode or a low-light app.

- Hold your phone as steady as possible, or rest it on something solid.

- Newer phones let you set longer exposures—use that feature.

- And turn off your flash. The aurora doesn’t need any help from your phone’s flashlight.

If you catch a great shot, send it to editor@flaexperiencemagazine.com. Include your name and where you took it, and they’ll share it with our readers.