Madison Reporter

On Thursday night, the sky above the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus was illuminated by the aurora borealis. This event was triggered by an eruption of solar material, causing the northern lights to be visible further south than usual. The phenomenon continued into Friday night, prompting the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center to issue a severe geomagnetic storm watch.

Photographer Althea Dotzour captured images of the Carillon Tower wrapped in red and green vines against the backdrop of the colorful aurora. Another photo showed Washburn Observatory framed by oak tree branches under the nighttime sky. Observers gathered on Observatory Hill and at Memorial Union Terrace to witness this natural spectacle, with some images captured by photographer Jeff Miller showing reflections of the northern lights in Lake Mendota.