
In May, the aurora gave the night sky amazing colors in Tucson, Arizona
Sean Parker
To see the northern lights, or aurora borealis, you usually have to travel to frozen climes as far north as Norway or Iceland, but this year they have been visible in London, southern Europe and even Mexico. There were two great light shows, in May and October. Although the October event was the result of a direct solar storm, scientists are puzzled by the storm that caused the May aurora.

An aurora borealis seen from North Wales in May 2024
John Davidson Photos/Alay
“We’re still quite surprised at how far south the aurora was seen,” he says…