Residents across Kodiak and Interior Alaska saw a visible aurora borealis display on the evening of April 18, sharing photos and videos on X of green bands stretching across the northern horizon.

Kodiak-based photographer Kris Luck posted images of the light show visible under clear skies. In the Interior, residents near Beaver captured video of the display, which appeared between roughly 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

The sightings matched University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute guidance that Interior Alaska aurora viewing is often best between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. when skies are clear and dark. The display occurred during a period of elevated solar activity associated with the 2024-2025 solar maximum that has increased aurora activity across Alaska.

Kodiak sits at 58.2 degrees magnetic latitude. That means the northern lights typically require a Kp index of 5 or higher to be visible there. That threshold indicates moderate to strong geomagnetic storm conditions. During solar maximum, Kodiak can expect between 10 and 40 nights per year when the aurora becomes visible. Citizen posts indicated conditions briefly met this visibility threshold on April 18, though no exact Kp value for that evening was confirmed in available data.

In Kodiak, elevated viewing spots like Monashka Bay Lookout and Pillar Mountain provide better sightlines to the low northern horizon where the lights appear.

The April 18 display may represent one of the last strong aurora events before the midnight sun arrives in late spring. As Alaska moves deeper into the season, dark sky periods shrink, making aurora viewing difficult even when geomagnetic activity remains high.

By April 19, current conditions showed the Kp index had dropped to 0.7, indicating the geomagnetic activity that produced the display was brief. The University of Alaska Fairbanks maintains an aurora forecast that helps residents across the state plan viewing opportunities based on current solar activity and local magnetic latitude.

Residents in communities from Kodiak to Beaver shared their observations on X, documenting the green bands that marked the display. The event drew attention from aurora tracking accounts that monitor conditions across Alaska.

The northern lights occur when charged particles from the sun interact with gases in the upper atmosphere. During solar maximum, the sun releases more of these particles, increasing both the frequency and intensity of aurora displays visible across Alaska.