Missed the northern lights in SC Tuesday? You may have another chance soon. When best to watch

The northern lights were spotted in South Carolina Tuesday and chances are good you’ll be able to see them again Wednesday night.

South Carolina residents in Rock Hill and around Lake Murray reported on Facebook they saw the lights Tuesday night.

Chapin resident Matthew Wilkes said when he lived in Tennessee for nine years there were several times the aurora was visible, but he never saw it.

Then in October 2024 he saw the lights in South Carolina. Monday night he saw friends farther south posting pictures.

“I decided to brave the cold, and it was worth taking a look,” he said.

Best time to view northern lights in SC

The best viewing time is 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. Look to the north some place away from the city lights.

This is caused by a geomagnetic storm, making the KP index surge to 8.67.

The K-index, an indicator of the Earth’s magnetic field, is used to characterize the magnitude of geomagnetic storms, the Space Weather Prediction Center said.

Geomagnetic storms typically affect the electrical power grid, spacecraft operations, users of radio signals and best of all for us observers of the aurora. Weather forecasters say the Earth is in a solar maximum, which means the sun is putting out more energy toward the Earth.

“The aurora does not need to be directly overhead but can be observed from as much as 620 miles away when the aurora is bright and if conditions are right,” The Space Prediction Center said.

A short term forecast (~30 minutes) along with the last 24 hours of activity can be found on the Aurora - 30 Minute Forecast page, the center said.

This story was originally published November 12, 2025 at 9:23 AM.