Lubbock Could Get a Rare Glimpse of the Northern Lights
If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights without leaving West Texas, tonight (Tuesday, November 12th, 2025) might be your chance. A strong geomagnetic storm is expected to make the aurora borealis visible much farther south than usual — and that could include Lubbock and the South Plains.
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According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a solar storm rated G3 (strong) is underway, sending charged particles from the sun colliding with Earth’s atmosphere. This kind of activity can cause the stunning green and pink curtains of light usually seen in Alaska or Canada to dip as far south as Texas, Oklahoma, and even northern Mexico again tonight.
Best Time and Place to Watch in Lubbock
Experts say the best viewing window for Lubbock residents will be between 9pm and 1am, when the skies are darkest and the solar activity is strongest. To improve your chances, get away from city lights — places like Buffalo Springs Lake, Ransom Canyon, or even the outskirts of Wolfforth offer a much better view than your backyard.
You won’t need a telescope or special gear — just a clear view of the northern horizon. The colors might look faint to the naked eye but will appear much brighter in photos. So grab your phone and set it to night mode or long exposure to capture the glow.
What’s Causing It?
This week’s aurora potential is tied to a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun that erupted a few days ago. The solar wind from that event is now slamming into Earth’s magnetic field, bending particles toward the poles and lighting up the skies.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center says these conditions are unusual but not unheard of — and similar storms have made the lights visible over Amarillo, Midland, and Lubbock in the past.
Don’t Miss This Rare Texas Sky Show
If the skies stay clear, tonight could be one of those “you had to see it to believe it” moments in Lubbock. Bundle up, head somewhere dark, and look north — because the Northern Lights may just put on a show over the Hub City…