Yes, It’s Possible to See ‘Northern Lights’ In South Dakota

South Dakota, the state where you can see it all; you just might have to look a little harder. When I was growing up in south-central South Dakota I remember a car ride home from Presho to Kennebec and Mom and Dad were talking about the northern lights. I couldn't see them as they kept pointing.

Later, I was probably just graduated from high school and was coming home late. On the way into the house, I caught the Northern Lights [Aurora Borealis] and it was spectacular. Movement, lights, the whole thing those in Alaska and other northern regions talk about. I woke my parents up and had them come outside and look. Northern Lights Centre explains the phenomenon much better:

The Northern Lights are actually the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth's atmosphere with charged particles released from the sun's atmosphere. Variations in colour are due to the type of gas particles that are colliding.

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Randy Halverson with Dakotalapse makes a living, waiting and looking up at the night skies. Halverson recently posted on his Facebook page that the Aurora was recently visible, for a brief few moments in Western South Dakota.

The night before it was actually stronger on the scale they use to measure it, but the moon wasn't letting me see it. I took it in my yard, which is between Box Elder and New Underwood, South Dakota.

I've always been envious of people who are able to get a good look at the night sky. On a clear night, it's one of the true wonders of the world. Summers at the river, bowhunting in the fall are times I look forward to looking up.

How about you? Have you ever caught the Aurora or the Northern Lights in South Dakota? If so, you know how beautiful it can be. You just have to be in the right place at the right time, and look up!

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