Astronomers investigate phenomenon of green lights in Hawaii’s sky

An intense green glow appeared in the sky of Kona, in Havaí, intriguing residents and astronomers who are still looking for explanations for the phenomenon. The sighting occurred about 15 to 20 minutes after sunset, in a northwest direction, over the weekend. Jake Asuncion, who was capturing images of the sunset near Keahole Point, captured the glow on video without realizing it at the time. Só, when reviewing the recording at home, noticed the green color appearing near the end of the footage.

The color appeared weak to the naked eye, but gained considerable intensity when viewed through the cell phone camera. The difference between what was seen directly and what the image captured raised questions about the real intensity of the phenomenon. Intrigado, Asuncion returned to the site the following night and managed to record the glow again, this time with even clearer results.

Boreal Aurora is ruled out by data

Geomagnetic data over the weekend revealed no significant storm activity capable of producing visible auroras across the archipelago. The KP index, an indicator used to measure the intensity of the aurora borealis, remained between 3 and 4 during the period. Para for an aurora to be visible on the islands of Havaí, an index of at least 8 would be necessary, according to the pattern established by previous events.

Nick Bradley, astronomer at Stargazers of Hawaiʻi, analyzed the color of the phenomenon and recognized the similarity to an aurora borealis. Contudo, this hypothesis is not supported by the available data. Bradley compared the sighting to a rare aurora seen on Havaí in 2024, which required much more intense geomagnetic conditions. The phenomenon recorded this weekend completely lacked these conditions.

This footage of glowing green lights over the Big Island of Hawaii looks like aurora borealis. But that's not something anyone in Hawaii should expect to see.https://t.co/aMC4tizMxy

— The Inertia (@the_inertia) April 28, 2026

Satélites, meteors and lasers have already been eliminated

Bradley evaluated other common explanations for the phenomenon and ruled them all out. Satélites usually appear as small points of light in continuous movement, something different from the brightness recorded in the images. Chuvas of meteors also does not match the observed pattern, as the lights appeared well after sunset and higher in the sky.

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The possibility of lasers was investigated with Exército, who reported that there was no equipment in use or training underway in the region during the period. Departamento of Transportes of Havaí also confirmed that the Kona airport once had a laser cannon to ward off birds, but it was red in color and would not have the same magnitude recorded in the images. The standard rotating beacons at airports also do not have the size shown in the photographs:

• Satélites appear as dots, not diffuse glow
• Meteoros occur just after dusk
• Lasers military personnel were not active in the area
• Canhão airport laser is red, not green
• Faróis rotaries have much smaller scale

STEVE remains an uncertain possibility

Os Observatórios Keck suggested a hypothesis: the STEVE phenomenon, whose acronym means “increased speed of strong thermal emissions”. It is an effect similar to the aurora borealis, but observable in more southern latitudes. Apesar of the suggestion, little is known about STEVE in scientific terms. Além also tends to appear associated with the aurora borealis itself, which did not occur in the case of Kona.

Astronomers also recognize that smartphone cameras can enhance colors in low-light environments. For this reason, the green glow captured in videos may appear more intense than what was actually observed with the naked eye. Essa technical feature of the cameras increases the complexity of the investigation.

Busca for more registrations remains open

The exact cause of the green lights in Havaí’s sky remains unknown. Nick Bradley urged more people to observe the sky and record the phenomenon if it occurs again. Additional data collected by the local community could offer new clues to solving the mystery. Asuncion, in turn, plans to continue monitoring future appearances of the green glow, with cameras prepared to capture the event with maximum clarity.

The phenomenon has sparked discussion among professional astronomers and Havaí enthusiasts about the yet-to-be-explained scientific possibilities that could occur in the night sky. The lack of a definitive explanation keeps curiosity alive about what really lit up Kona’s sky that weekend.