Democracy Dies in Darkness

Auroras make surprise pre-dawn display in D.C. area after lighting up mountains

Western parts of Virginia and Maryland saw the best show, but a faint glow from the northern lights appeared in the D.C. area before sunrise.

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Updated May 11, 2024 at 10:14 p.m. EDT|Published May 11, 2024 at 6:00 a.m. EDT
Aurora seen from the Ravens Roost Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia on Friday night. (Sam Norton)
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Because of pesky clouds, the D.C. area initially missed out on a rare and magical opportunity to the see the northern lights Friday night. But during the pre-dawn hours Saturday, between about 4 and 6 a.m., the skies opened up just enough for an exceptionally rare view.

The display of auroras was visible as far south as Florida, Texas and Southern California after an extreme geomagnetic storm — the strongest in at least two decades — bombarded Earth.