Aurora Borealis May 10 2024 New York. New yorkers were treated to a rare light show thursday night as the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, spread an ethereal smear across the sky. While the rare event is expected to begin around 8 p.m.

Increased solar activity causes auroras that dance around earth’s poles, known as the northern lights, or aurora borealis, and southern lights, or aurora australis. May 10, 2024 marked the largest solar storm in 20 years.