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Northern lights illuminate Ontario skies in spectacular show (PHOTOS)

Ontario skies lit up with a rare and stunning northern lights display on Thursday night, offering residents a breathtaking view of the aurora borealis—even in downtown Toronto.
Village Life
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Northern lights on display in London, ON.Photo by JenniferStuber via X, formerly known as Twitter

Ontario residents were treated to a dazzling display of northern lights, or aurora borealis, on Thursday night, lighting up even the skies of downtown Toronto.

This rare and brilliant event was made possible by heightened solar activity earlier in the week, which continues to fuel auroral activity across the region.

The Weather Network explained that the light show was triggered by a massive cloud of high-energy particles from a solar storm, which was set off by an X1.8-class solar flare from sunspot AR3848 late Tuesday. As the storm made its way to Earth, it sparked bright auroras across both Canada and the U.S.

Thursday’s event didn’t disappoint, as vibrant streaks of greens, pinks, yellows, purples, and reds painted the night sky. While the lights were more vibrant in rural areas further north, residents in Toronto and southern Ontario were still able to catch a glimpse, despite the city’s usual light pollution.

Social media buzzed with photos and videos as residents captured stunning footage of the northern lights dancing overhead, with many sharing the rare spectacle. This year’s frequent aurora displays are due to the sun nearing the peak of its 11-year magnetic cycle, which has resulted in more frequent solar storms.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Karman Singh (@kman_201)

For those who missed Thursday’s show, there’s still hope: the northern lights could be visible again on Friday night. However, for the best views, experts recommend heading to a designated dark sky reserve away from city lights.