Missed the northern lights in MS Tuesday? You may get another chance soon. When best to watch
The northern lights were visible Tuesday, Nov. 11 across Mississippi and other parts of the United States, painting the night sky in pink, purple hues.
It’s uncommon for the phenomenon to be seen that far south and was caused by a rare solar storm, according to experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center.
If you missed the breathtaking overnight display, don’t fret. You could have another chance to see it Nov. 12, experts said.
Here’s what made the lights visible and how to best see them in the Magnolia State.
What are the northern lights?
The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are colorful displays of particles and magnetism between the Sun and the Earth, according to NASA.
They are caused by strong geomagnetic storms that can happen through eruptions of solar material and magnetic fields, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), experts at the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center said.
The phenomenon is typically seen on Earth in high-latitude areas. In the U.S., some of the best places to potentially see the northern lights are Alaska, Maine and Minnesota, Travel + Leisure reported.
Why were the northern lights visible in MS?
The northern lights are rarely visible in the southern part of the country. The last time they were seen in Mississippi was in May 2024, according to the U.S. National Weather Service in Jackson.
Two coronal mass ejections arrived overnight Nov. 11, reaching G4 level conditions — one of the strongest rankings on NOAA’s scale, Shawn Dahl, space weather forecaster at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center said in a Nov. 11 video shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This caused the northern lights to be seen in Mississippi as far south as the Coast, according to reports.
Forecasters expect a more energetic third CME to arrive at about 11 a.m. CST Nov. 12, Dahl said.
This arrival could cause the northern lights to be seen again Nov. 12 at night, as long as the severity of the geomagnetic storm continues, according to the NOAA.
How to best see the northern lights in MS
If the geomagnetic field remains active at severe levels, the best time of night to see the northern lights is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, NOAA experts said.
Here’s how you can best see the phenomenon, according to the NWS in Jackson:
- Make sure you’re in a dark place, away from city lights
- Look for a faint pink haze in the sky
- Use a camera with a few second exposure or night mode on your phone’s camera to see it more clearly
This story was originally published November 12, 2025 at 10:15 AM.
