CINCINNATI — Did you see strange lights in the sky last night?
No it wasn't the latest UFO caught on camera, but it definitely was something we don't get to see too often. The northern lights (auroras) were actually visible overnight Sunday into Monday in the Tri-State.
"It's really rare," said Dean Regas with the Cincinnati Observatory.
Dean said this is only the second time he's seen the northern lights this far south. The last time he caught a glimpse was back in 2001.
Although it is extremely unlikely to see the lights in our region, Regas said we could have a better shot at seeing them because we're heading towards what is called a "solar max" when the sun's activity is at an increased level. Regas said it happens every 11 years.
Collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the Earth's atmosphere form what we call the aurora, according to the Northern Lights Center. The colors we see are the result of gas particles colliding.
Although Regas said we could start seeing more aurora activity this year, the latest forecast isn't too promising when it comes to catching a glimpse.
Regas said spaceweather.com is a great way to see if your area is in a region where you may see some activity.
We didn't have a crystal clear sky in the Tri-State, so it wasn't the easiest thing to see. Here are a few of the photos we got from readers and viewers like you:
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