Last Thursday evening all of the weather and atmospheric conditions came together to provide the local area with the perfect opportunity to get outside and see the Northern Lights, rarely visible in the southern portion of the state. The phenomenon is caused by solar winds from the sun that drift through space carrying protons and electrons. When that wind reaches the magnetic field of the Earth, the wind is forced away, and the interaction between the magnetic field and winds guide the protons and electrons down towards the north and south poles causing them to release energy. The Northern Lights are also known as the aurora borealis. Pictured is an image of the Northern Lights over Lac qui Parle Lake Thursday evening. Photo by Steven James