Best Views of the Incredible Northern Lights Seen From Oklahoma

The Best Views Around

A rare opportunity for Oklahomans came yesterday late in the evening. Many people shared their experiences like the following people:

Isabella Casteel - Yukon, Oklahoma

Dawn Josefy - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Even good ol' Papa Payne, or David Payne, piped in on the experience from northeastern Oklahoma.

Meteorologist Todd Rasmuson caught quite the view from Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Kate Winningham from Norman shared this beautiful capture.

Professional photographer Andrew Guthrie shared with us his impeccable photo from Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. This, and many of his other works can be found on his Instagram and Facebook page.

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How Was This Phenomenon Possible?

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a severe solar storm was approaching the earth. Thanks to the storm, Oklahoma saw its own version of the northern lights stretched all the way down to several parts of Oklahoma, including Yukon, Mountain View, Guthrie and many more towns in the northern region.

Why Were They Purple?

Little something I learned today - any and all northern lights can really be any color - it call depends on solar activity levels and how particles are colliding with one another at a a lesser altitude. According to the experts with aurorazone.com, "blue and purple are also colours which are seen less frequently and again, they tend to appear when solar activity is high," they said.

"In this case, the colours are caused by particles colliding with our atmosphere at an altitude of 60 miles or less. At these heights, it is a reaction with Nitrogen that causes the Aurora to be tinged with purple or blue and most commonly, you will see these colours towards the lower parts of the display.com."

When or If Might This Happen Again?

Although there does not seem to be any official news at the moment, our best guess is that because of the "severe G4" solar storm's intensity, and the fact that it may be sticking around for a good amount of time, this may not be the last time to capture the experience. Although, the last time the NOAA issued a warning of that magnitude was 19 years ago. So, if the chance is there, take it.