This photograph by Michigan Aurora Chaser Justin Bradley displays a corona forming elaborate designs in the night sky in Caseville, Michigan, during the geomagnetic storms of October 10, 2024.

When it comes to Aurora, there’s one type that’s unmistakable, creating elaborate formations in the center of the night sky that are visible directly overhead. Meet the corona!

The buzz on this topic exploded on May 10, 2024 when the Aurora danced in every state of the U.S. and across much of the world. Both the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and the Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) were on fire that night, with the movement and colors expanding close to the Equator. For most northern sky watchers, the Northern Lights were so strong that they were visible to the south. This pushed the display overhead and made it possible for chasers in many states to witness the corona, many for the first time.

That wasn’t the last time corona would dance for the lower 48 states of the U.S. in 2024, though. Corona has made several appearances at northern latitudes throughout the year, and it appeared in stunning detail and frequency during the geomagnetic storms of October 10-11, 2024. That night, the corona was one of many prominent features of the Aurora display, and it appeared repeatedly at wide intervals through the night and into the morning.

Corona is a word from Latin that means “wreath” or “crown.” The word is used in many ways when discussing solar activity, space weather and Aurora.

The sun’s corona is the fiery and complex area on the sun’s surface that surrounds our star. A coronal hole is a hole in the sun’s surface that allows high speed streams of solar wind to flow outward into space, and sometimes toward Earth, bringing Aurora. The corona as experienced multiple times by sky watchers on October 10-11, 2024, refers to the formation of Aurora that forms a “crown” in the top of the sky, at the center of Aurora’s activity overhead.

You can tell you’ve caught a corona, when all of the veils, pillars, rays and ribbons in the Aurora converge in the middle, in the apex of the sky above you. In the center, it often looks like a dark abyss where you feel like you can reach out and touch outer space. Best of all, the corona formation often creates beautiful shapes and it becomes like night-time cloud watching, where you can make out the shape of dragons, eagles, foxes, bears, angels, phoenixes, warriors or faces.

The corona itself kind of looks like a star burst! Under the darkest skies and under the most ideal conditions, the corona presents a stunning rainbow of ever-changing colors.

If you want to catch a corona, usually you’d have to travel to view the Northern Lights at much higher latitudes, closer to the Arctic Circle. During the strongest geomagnetic storms, it’s possible to catch these formations in the mid-latitudes. In regions that are farther south, the corona may appear muted and white or silver in color.

Often, novice Aurora Chasers don’t even realize it’s there. Just like other Aurora sightings, a camera can help you detect the early signs of a corona.

The next time you experience a strong Aurora display, when the colors, veils and forms begin moving above you, point your camera straight up into the middle of the sky and take a test shot. If you can get the photo in focus, even better. Even if you can’t see it with your own eyes, a corona might be present. This early sighting can also help you know where to look, to watch the corona as it moves and see if it presents more prominently to the unaided eye.

If you’re lucky enough to catch the corona, the colors — and the enchanting shapes and formations — will surprise you!