There was a sunset tonight... wondered if I'd see an Aurora?

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 Great question! Here’s what the science says:

  • Auroras aren’t visible during full daylight because the Sun’s brightness overwhelms them. However, they can sometimes appear just after sunset or just before sunrise, especially during strong geomagnetic storms. The sky needs to be dark enough for the faint glow to stand out. [economicti…atimes.com], [swpc.noaa.gov], [travelpander.com]

  • If you saw vivid reds, greens, or purples mixed into the twilight sky, that’s usually sunset colors caused by scattering of sunlight, not aurora. Auroras form from charged particles hitting oxygen and nitrogen high in the atmosphere, producing green (oxygen at 60–120 miles), red (oxygen above 120 miles), and blue/purple (nitrogen) hues. [sciencenotes.org], [accuweather.com]

  • During a major solar storm, auroras can start glowing low on the northern horizon soon after sunset, even before full darkness. They often look like faint gray or green bands at first, not the fiery orange or pink typical of sunsets. [economicti…atimes.com], [swpc.noaa.gov]

So, if tonight’s colors were warm oranges and pinks across the whole western sky, that was likely a normal sunset. If you noticed vertical streaks, shimmering curtains, or greenish tones toward the north, that could have been aurora.

Would you like me to give you tips for spotting aurora during twilight and how to tell them apart from sunset colors? Or should I write a short blog post about this question—“Could That Sunset Have Been Aurora?”?

I think it was just a sunset. 

That makes sense—sunsets can be stunning on their own! If you’re curious for next time, here’s a quick tip:

  • Aurora vs. Sunset: Sunsets usually fill the western sky with warm oranges, reds, and pinks. Auroras tend to appear toward the north, often as greenish or purplish bands or curtains that shimmer and move. They’re most visible after the sky gets dark.

If you’d like, I can give you: ✅ A simple guide for spotting auroras in your area
✅ Or a short blog post idea: “Could That Sunset Have Been Aurora?”

Which one sounds better?

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