Sometimes it pays to wait. "I watched the sky for three hours last night (Aug. 24-25) hoping to see some auroras," says Frank Olsen of Stø, Norway. "I was about to give up and go home when the sky erupted in color." The 10-minute outburst was bright enough to shine through twilight and lunar glare:

Aurora's Over Norway
© Frank OlsenImage Taken: Aug. 25, 2011
Location: Stø, Norway
"Boy was I happy I hadn't gone home," says Olsen.

The display was caused by a thin but surprisingly effective solar wind stream which has been gently buffeting Earth's magnetic field for the past two days. NOAA forecasters estimate a 15% chance of continued geomagnetic activity tonight; high-latitude sky watchers should remain (patiently) alert for auroras.

More Images:
From Bjarki Mikkelsen of Jokkmokk Porjus, Lapland, Sweden; from Sean M. Scully of Akureyri, Iceland