The 1941 Aurora Blitz, when the northern lights took place during the war

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It was the evening of September 18, 1941, and across the First Coast, residents looked north to see a strange red glow flickering across the sky. It wasn’t fire, nor was it the glow of war, though. With World War II raging overseas, some may have feared the worst. Instead, Floridians were witnessing a rare display for Florida: the northern lights.

According to the National Weather Service in Jacksonville, the phenomenon occurred between 7 and 11 p.m. and was visible across much of North Florida.

The skies lit up as the geomagnetic storm swept across the earth, pushing the auroral oval well into the subtropics. The event became known as the “Aurora Blitz.” For many, it was the first and only time they would ever see the northern lights.

According to the Sanford Chr