Although the aurora borealis, or northern lights, is most often observed in March and September, it can appear at other times of the year if conditions are right. For instance, in February 2026, a minor geomagnetic storm produced a striking display of light swirling across northern skies.
The VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the Suomi NPP satellite acquired these images in the early morning hours of February 16. The VIIRS day-night band detects nighttime light in a range of wavelengths from green to near-infrared and uses filtering techniques to observe signals such as city lights, reflected moonlight, and auroras. While these satellite data are displayed in grayscale, auroras appear in various colors to observers on the ground, from green (the most common) to purple to red.
The first image (top) shows ribbons of light that shimmered over the Denmark Strait and Iceland at 04:45 Universal Time (4:45 a.m. local time in Reykjavík). The second image shows the view farther west, where the lights danced above the Canadian provinces of Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador at about 06:30 Universal Time (1:30 a.m. local time in Montreal).
According to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, a minor geomagnetic storm was in progress during this period. Classified as a G1—the lowest level on a scale that goes up to G5—such storms typically make the aurora visible at high latitudes. G1 storms can also cause slight disruptions, including weak fluctuations in power grids and minor impacts on satellite operations.
Later that day, conditions intensified to a G2 storm, likely associated with a coronal hole and a high-speed stream of solar wind. G2 storms are considered moderate in strength and can occasionally push auroral displays as far south as New York and Idaho.
About a week earlier, on February 10, a NASA rocket mission launched from the Poker Flat Research Range near Fairbanks, Alaska, to study the electrical environment of an aurora. The GNEISS (Geophysical Non-Equilibrium Ionospheric System Science) mission’s two sounding rockets gathered data that will help scientists create a 3D reconstruction of the electrical currents flowing from the northern lights. Combined with observations from the ground and space, this information can help researchers better understand the system that drives space weather near Earth.
NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using VIIRS day-night band data from the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership. Story by Kathryn Hansen.
References & Resources
- NASA Science (2025, February 27) Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer. Accessed February 18, 2026.
- NASA Science (2025, January 23) Aurorasaurus. Accessed February 18, 2026.
- NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility (2026, February 10) NASA Rocket to Conduct ‘CT Scan’ of Auroral Electricity. Accessed February 18, 2026.
- NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center via X (2026, February 16) EXTENDED WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 5 expected. Accessed February 18, 2026.
- University of Alaska Fairbanks (2026, February) Launches x4: Multiple missions kept everyone busy at Poker Flat. Accessed February 18, 2026.
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