KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — East Tennessee had a very rare double feature in the skies Sunday night into early Monday morning.
During the peak of the Perseids meteor shower overnight, some stargazers noticed the sky had a slightly faint tint to it. As it turned out, an unexpectedly powerful solar storm was going on at the same time.
These powerful solar storms are what cause aurora borealis -- the stunning Northern Lights phenomenon seen more often to our north.
Typically, these solar storms are not powerful enough to allow the aurora to be seen in Tennessee. However, the sun's flare-up was just strong enough to give East Tennessee a small taste of the aurora, which a few people were able to capture on camera glowing faintly pink in the skies overnight.
Stacey Sands said she was in her pool in Halls watching the meteor shower last night when she noticed the sky's tint. When she took a picture, she was excited to see she had captured the aurora's glow.
A few other people on social media out late overnight also captured impressive views of the aurora from places like Norris Lake.
People in Knoxville likely didn't notice much in the night sky due to light pollution drowning out the faint glow. The key to seeing it: Head out to places where the city lights can't reach the sky. If you can see the Milky Way in the night sky, you've got a clear view!
If you missed the aurora, you might have a tiny chance to see it Monday night into early Tuesday morning if conditions are stronger than expected.
NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center said it expects more geomagnetic storm activity into Tuesday morning. It's predicted to be at G2 or G3 levels, which would be weaker than Sunday's solar storm, and it is anticipated to be visible only as far south as Indiana. However, Sunday's prediction similarly called for G2 levels at first, but the solar storm was stronger than anticipated and intensified to "Severe" levels by late Monday morning.
This is the second time the Northern Lights have been visible in East Tennessee in 2024 due to increased solar activity. On May 10, an "unusual" and "historic" solar storm brought the Northern Lights to East Tennessee for the first time since the mid-2000s.
