Video captured by USA TODAY shows sled dogs from Silver Ace Sled Dog Kennel running through snow in Fairbanks under a bright supermoon and a vivid aurora borealis. Fairbanks sits beneath the main auroral band above the Alaska Range, making it a top viewing spot. A strong geomagnetic storm on Nov. 11, 2025, also produced colorful auroras visible as far south as North Carolina and Oklahoma. NOAA/NESDIS explains auroras form when charged solar particles collide with atmospheric gases.
Sled Dogs Race Beneath a Vivid Aurora and Supermoon Over Fairbanks, Alaska
Skies over Ettrick, Wisconsin, came alive with color on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, as the northern lights reached rare southern latitudes.
A small team of sled dogs from the Silver Ace Sled Dog Kennel enjoyed a front-row seat to a spectacular night sky in Fairbanks, Alaska. Video obtained by USA TODAY shows the dogs sprinting along a snow-covered trail beneath a bright supermoon and a vivid aurora borealis.
Why Fairbanks Is Ideal for Aurora Viewing
Fairbanks is one of the best places in the Northern Hemisphere to see the northern lights, especially in winter. According to Alaska.org, the main auroral band — a ring of geomagnetic activity around the Arctic Circle — crosses the state in an arc above the Alaska Range, putting Fairbanks and areas to its north directly under frequent displays.
On Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, an unusually strong geomagnetic storm produced brilliant curtains of green and pink light that were visible much farther south than usual. Observers reported colorful auroras over Candler, North Carolina, and near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, as the storm sparked vibrant displays across parts of the United States.
What Causes the Aurora?
The aurora borealis (northern lights) forms when electrically charged particles from the sun collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere, producing glowing ribbons and curtains of light, according to NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. In the Southern Hemisphere, the same process creates the aurora australis.
Video Credit: USA TODAY — Contributing videographer: Mary Walrath-Holdridge
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com. This story originally appeared on USA TODAY as "Video shows dogs sled through radiant northern lights in Alaska."
The northern lights glow above Cullman, Alabama, on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, as a strong geomagnetic storm pushed the aurora farther south than usual.
Skies over Montrose, Colorado, came alive with color on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, as the northern lights reached rare southern latitudes.
A rare sight in Plainview, New York, the northern lights painted the sky on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, after a powerful geomagnetic storm reached far into the southern U.S.
Brilliant hues of green and pink illuminated the sky over Candler, North Carolina, on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, during an unusually strongnorthern lights aurora display.
Viewers near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, captured aglimpse of the northern lightson Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, after a geomagnetic storm sparked vibrant displays nationwide.
A rare sight in Plainview, New York, the northern lights painted the sky on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, after a powerful geomagnetic storm reached far into the southern U.S.
A rare sight in Plainview, New York, the northern lights painted the sky on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, after a powerful geomagnetic storm reached far into the southern U.S.
Skies over Ettrick, Wisconsin, came alive with color on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, as the northern lights reached rare southern latitudes.
Brilliant hues of green and pink illuminated the sky over Candler, North Carolina, on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, during an unusually strong aurora display.
A rare sight in Plainview, New York, the northern lights painted the sky on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, after a powerful geomagnetic storm reached far into the southern U.S.
