Aurora seen in Queenstown, New Zealand on Oct. 3, 2013.
On Sept. 30, 2013, the sun released an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection or CME. On Oct. 2, 2013, the CME hit Earth’s magnetic field, causing a mild geomagnetic storm, which in turn caused aurora in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The geomagnetic storm caused northern aurora to appear further south than normal in more than a dozen northern-tier US states, including Oregon and New York. In the southern hemisphere, auroras were seen as far north as New Zealand.
This aurora image was taken by Minoru Yoneto on October 3, 2013 in Queenstown, New Zealand. Image Courtesy of Minoru Yoneto.