Last Night's Aurora Shots from Oregon Coast

Published 01/20/26 at 6:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Pacific City, Oregon) – There were times it was visible to the human eye this far south into Oregon. In pure science terms: it reached a Kp index of 8, which is about as high as that wildly colorful display back in May 2024. Indeed, it was the highest solar radiation storm in more than thirty years – since 1991. (Photo Pilar French - Cape Kiwanda looks like Mars)

This was the massive aurora borealis display that took place in the overnight hours, coming from a very powerful combination of a CME (coronal mass ejection) and solar radiation.

“Researchers call this 'a long duration flare,' “ said Jim Todd of Portland's OMSI. “The explosion lasted for hours, which makes it even more powerful than its X1.9 rating would suggest.”

Weather didn't hurt either: many places around the Pacific Northwest experienced the prime viewing of clear skies (albeit extremely chilly).

This was at times a G4 geomagnetic storm that came from this solar flare Sunday, hurdling towards Earth at many, many miles per second, and creating a little havoc with telecommunications and such. Mostly it centered at G3 or G2. The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) at first predicted we would experience a Kp 8 storm, but that hit early in the day, during the daylight hours.

Cannon Beach always seems to get the money shots when it comes to Oregon coastal auroras. Trish Pacheco caught just that.

Yet apparently, some of that intensity returned late at night, which would explain some of the photographs.

It was intense enough that Portland's Pilar French caught it on the Oregon coast with the naked eye. Hanging at Pacific City, she saw the purple / red sky that was the telltale sign we were getting hit with something extraordinary. Those colors mean it's oxygen molecules high in the atmosphere.

“Oxygen excited to different energy levels can produce green and red,” said NASA. “Green occurs roughly between 60 to 120 miles (100-200 km) altitude, and red occurs above 120 miles (200 km).”

Green Nightglow Above Us All the Time, You Just Didn't Know: Washington / Oregon Coast Science - Also called chemiluminescence, once you see it you can't unsee it

The reds mean it's a very intense storm, as up that high that are far fewer gasses to interact with.

Also from French, she snapped this one atop with plenty of red above Cape Kiwanda's dune.

Photos came into Oregon Coast Beach Connection from all over the Pacific Northwest, including Port Angeles, Brookings, Prineville, Astoria, Westport and even Bandon at 3 a.m.

Jaklyn Larsen from the Yachats area is always super active when these opportunities come around. She grabbed this lovely shot from the Heceta Head area, showing the lighthouse in the distance.

In the same set, she caught fishing boat lights and the northern lights from Cape Perpetua as well as a bit farther south towards Florence.

In Newport, Morfinez Klau captured this one of reds side-by-side with greens.

A bit north, Lincoln City saw this run of purples along with boats. This one was courtesy Nicole Twigg of Kiwanda Coastal Properties.

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