‘Aurora Bargealis’

As the crew of the mv. Thelma Parker II pushed a tow along the Black Warrior River just above Brookwood, Ala., the night of November 11, Justin Hoffman, relief captain, captured a sight rarely seen in the state of Alabama—the aurora borealis, or northern lights.

A huge solar flare November 11—the largest so far in 2025—sent charged particles hurling toward the earth’s atmosphere. The particles collided with the earth’s magnetic field, causing the aurora borealis to be seen much farther south than usual. On November 11, the lights were visible as far south as Florida and Louisiana.

The mv. Thelma Parker II is a 4,000 hp. towboat measuring 140 feet by 35 feet. Built at Mainstream Shipyards in Greenville, Miss., the Thelma Parker II was repowered in 2014 with Cat 3516 main engines paired to Reintjes gears. Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based Parker Towing Company purchased the vessel in December 2004.