FACT CHECK: Believe it or not, the Aurora Borealis once appeared over the Philippines

History shows that under exceptionally rare conditions, the impossible phenomenon can still happen.

Imagine looking up at the night sky in Manila and seeing shimmering curtains of light dancing across the horizon—something usually associated with Norway, Iceland, or Alaska.

It sounds impossible, but it actually happened.

On the night of October 27, 1856, Filipinos witnessed the Aurora Borealis, more popularly known as the Northern Lights. Nearly 170 years later, modern scientists confirmed that the extraordinary sighting was genuine.

Considering that the Philippines lies close to the equator—thousands of kilometers from where auroras normally appear—it remains one of the rarest atmospheric events ever documented in the country’s history.

A Spanish priest documented the phenomenon

According to an August 2018 paper in Annales Geophysicae journal, the unusual event was recorded by Antonio Llanos, a Spanish priest “with an interest in botany and meteorology.”

Researchers Hisashi Hayakawa, José Vaquero, and Yusuke Ebihara said Llanos carefully described what he witnessed and later published his account—“Observación de una aurora boreal en Manila” (“Observation of an Aurora Borealis in Manila”)—in Revista de los Progresos de las Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales in 1857.

“At this moment [at 9 o’clock at night], observing the cloudscape of the atmosphere, I noticed that, on the NW side, with a short difference there was a faint but weak white light on that horizon, which at first I supposed was produced by some cause, such as from a fire. In that part, there is a range of mountains that form the provinces of Balanga and Zambales,” Llanos said. “At its base, the light was noticed to be more clear and perceptible, and some more resplendent points could be seen in its mass, noting also some movement of vertical undulation which it manifested, sometimes stronger and sometimes weaker, until finally it disappeared, leaving total darkness.”

Llanos estimated the event lasted “some 5 minutes,” before that “illumination had scarcely disappeared.” He also noted a similar phenomenon “with the same circumstances as the previous one” in another mountain range, Gapang, and lasted about 10 minutes.

How could the Aurora Borealis reach the Philippines?

Normally, it couldn’t.

The Aurora Borealis occurs when charged particles from the Sun collide with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere. Because of Earth’s magnetic field, these particles are funneled toward the North Pole, which is why countries such as Norway, Finland, Canada, and Iceland regularly experience the phenomenon.

The Philippines is simply too close to the equator.

Hayakawa, Vaquero, and Ebihara concluded that Llanos’ record was “indeed be likely one of an auroral display,” though an instance of “sporadic aurora,” a rare, localized appearance of the northern lights at relatively low magnetic latitude during times of just moderate magnetic activity.

They said it’s the first evidence of a sporadic aurora in Southeast Asia and near the geomagnetic equator.

While calling it an isolated phenomenon, the authors said further research “may merit studies of long-term variations of geomagnetic activity and the terrestrial magnetic field as well.”

Don’t believe every viral photo

Every time colorful lights appear over Metro Manila, social media quickly fills with claims that the Aurora Borealis has finally returned.

But those claims have repeatedly been debunked.

One viral incident in 2024 showed pink skies over Pasay City. PAGASA later clarified that the glow was not an aurora but simply commercial lighting reflecting off low clouds.

A genuine Aurora Borealis remains extraordinarily unlikely in the Philippines.

A once-in-several-lifetimes phenomenon

The confirmed 1856 sighting reminds us that nature can still surprise scientists.

While Filipinos should not expect to witness the Aurora Borealis from their backyards anytime soon, history shows that under exceptionally rare conditions, the impossible can happen.

For one remarkable night nearly two centuries ago, the Philippine sky briefly looked like it belonged in the Arctic.

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