Around Town

See northern lights around Charlotte from last night + more coming tonight

By Melissa Oyler
A dramatic, vertical nighttime photo of the aurora borealis with an extremely intense, vibrant red and magenta glow filling the sky above the horizon. The upper part of the image is a clear, dark sky filled with bright stars. The lower half features a dark, silhouetted hillside covered in evergreen and deciduous trees, which frame the powerful light display.
Donald Alm captured this image of the northern lights late Tuesday night, Nov. 11, along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Deep Gap, North Carolina. Donald Alm

The Northern Lights were again visible in the Charlotte area on Tuesday night, Nov. 11, and social media feeds were dotted with colorful pinks, greens and blues all night long.

The aurora borealis illuminated skies in the entire region, with readers capturing images all around the metro area.

Below are some of the images our readers captured. Send us your photos to charlottefive@charlottefive.com and tell us your full name and where your photo was taken, and we may add it to our gallery.

Did you miss the chance to see them? Don’t worry — you’ll get another chance tonight!

By submitting a photo, you agree that your entry and images may be published online or in print by The Charlotte Observer and its parent company McClatchy News, and that you accept our Terms of Service.

A wide, stunning nighttime landscape photo of a rural area under a deep magenta and pink sky, clearly visible with countless small stars. The aurora’s glow bathes the entire scene. In the middle ground, there are rolling hills, a few scattered trees, and a small white farmhouse nestled against a dark, tree-covered hillside. The immediate foreground is a field of dry, illuminated grasses.
Donald Alm captured this image of the northern lights late Tuesday night, Nov. 11, in Deep Gap, North Carolina. Donald Alm
A dramatic, vertical nighttime photo of the aurora borealis with an extremely intense, vibrant red and magenta glow filling the sky above the horizon. The upper part of the image is a clear, dark sky filled with bright stars. The lower half features a dark, silhouetted hillside covered in evergreen and deciduous trees, which frame the powerful light display.
Donald Alm captured this image of the northern lights late Tuesday night, Nov. 11, along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Deep Gap, North Carolina. Donald Alm
A vertical nighttime photo of the aurora borealis dominating the sky with a bright, solid band of deep pink and magenta light. The sky is dark above and clearly visible with many stars. The foreground shows the silhouettes of neighborhood trees and bushes, and a partial view of a large house on the right, providing a clear contrast between the suburban setting and the brilliant celestial phenomenon.
Donald Alm captured this image of the northern lights late Tuesday night, Nov. 11, in Lenior, North Carolina. Donald Alm
A vibrant nighttime photo of the aurora borealis, featuring a sky glowing with bright magenta and purple colors that fade into a deeper violet above, with many visible stars. The light of the aurora is framed by the dark, dramatic silhouettes of a dense tree line, including both evergreens and the bare, spindly branches of deciduous trees in the foreground.
Jane Pope captured this image of the northern lights late Tuesday night, Nov. 11, in northwest Cabarrus County. Jane Pope
A nighttime photo of the aurora borealis, featuring a wide, deep purple sky with an intense, localized column of bright pink/magenta light rising from the horizon. The foreground is a suburban street with the roofs and facades of several two-story houses visible, some with warm porch lights on. A deciduous tree with autumn leaves is visible on the left.
Pooja Patel captured this image of the northern lights late Tuesday night, Nov. 11, in the Steele Creek neighborhood of Charlotte. Pooja Patel
A vibrant nighttime landscape photo capturing a powerful aurora borealis. The sky is dominated by a wide, horizontal band of intense red light stretching across the clouds. Below the red band, a diffuse green glow is visible above a dark line of trees. The foreground is an empty, dark field with some illuminated dry grasses in the bottom center.
Evelyn Reynosco captured this image of the northern lights late Tuesday night, Nov. 11, in China Grove, North Carolina. Evelyn Reynoso
A night time photo showing a dark, deep blue-purple sky above a horizon featuring a distinct, diffuse red glow. The lower edge of the frame shows the tops of houses and neighborhood trees, including a large, dark evergreen on the left and bare deciduous trees near the center. A bright street lamp creates a visible light streak near the bottom left.
Cheryl Doty captured this image of the northern lights late Tuesday night, Nov. 11, in Cornelius, North Carolina. Cheryl Doty
A vertical nighttime photo capturing the aurora borealis with a vibrant, glowing red and pink color dominating the lower half of the sky. The foreground is filled with the dark, jagged silhouettes of dense trees, including both tall pines and bare deciduous branches, framing the celestial display above. The upper sky is dark and dotted with faint stars.
Terri Newton Karam captured this image of the northern lights late Tuesday night, Nov. 11, in Huntersville, North Carolina. Terri Newton Karam
Angie Parkman captured this image of the northern lights late Tuesday night, Nov. 11, in the Charlotte area.
Angie Parkman captured this image of the northern lights late Tuesday night, Nov. 11, in the Charlotte area. Angie Parkman
A low-angle nighttime photo capturing a purple and pink aurora borealis in a cloudy sky above a field. In the center, a brightly illuminated flagpole stands tall, flying the American and North Carolina flags. The horizon is marked by a dark line of trees with several bright, ground-level spotlights illuminating them from below, highlighting the extraordinary color of the sky.
Nikki Case captured this image of the northern lights late Tuesday night, Nov. 11, in Colfax, North Carolina. Nikki Case
An upward-angled nighttime photo dominated by a deep magenta and purple aurora in the sky. The foreground is filled with the dark silhouettes of dense tree branches. In the bottom left, the roof and a bright, illuminated window of a suburban house are visible, contrasting the bright interior light with the powerful pink glow of the night sky.
Joanna Arce captured this image of the northern lights late Tuesday night, Nov. 11, in Lake Wylie. Joanna Arce
A nighttime photo of the aurora borealis, where the sky is illuminated in a soft gradient of lavender, purple, and violet, and is full of bright stars. In the foreground, the dark roof and white side of a house are visible on the right, and a bright yellow-leaved tree stands in the center foreground, illuminated by an unknown light source, creating a sharp contrast with the purple sky.
Clara Rosa Barrios captured this image of the northern lights late Tuesday night, Nov. 11, in Columbia, South Carolina. Clara Rosa Barrios

This story was originally published November 12, 2025 at 10:30 AM.

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