This weekend, a powerful solar storm put on a dazzling display of Northern Lights across the night sky. These colorful light shows, also called auroras, are usually seen in high-latitude areas. But this time, the storm was so strong that people in places like South Florida and Hawaii even got a glimpse!
The storm was no joke. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) even issued a special warning. They were worried about the impact on power grids, satellites, and other important systems. Thankfully, airplanes seemed to be okay, and some passengers even got an amazing surprise.
Imagine flying on a night flight and seeing a light show outside your window! That’s exactly what happened to some passengers on Delta Air Lines. Brian Yutko was on a flight from Seattle to Boston and snapped incredible photos of the vibrant purple, pink, and green lights dancing in the sky. Another flyer said it was the “Best. Flight. Ever.” on social media, along with a photo of the aurora.
One Boeing 737 pilot went above and beyond to make sure everyone on board could see the lights. The pilot was on an eastbound flight at 37,000 feet when they saw the aurora. They decided to turn the plane around for a bit and even dimmed the cabin lights so everyone could enjoy the view! This isn’t the first time a pilot has done something like this. In 2023, a pilot on an easyJet flight from Iceland circled the plane so passengers could see the lights.
If you ever want to see the Northern Lights yourself, Iceland is a great place to visit. This island nation even has a special plane painted with colorful lights to celebrate the aurora Borealis! Icelandair, the country’s main airline, has a Boeing 757-200 nicknamed “Hekla Aurora” that features this special design. The inside of the plane even has special lighting to create the feeling of the aurora. Pretty cool, right?
