Top line
Forecasters predict that a geomagnetic storm could cause enough solar activity to create a visible aurora on Friday and Saturday night in parts of Canada and the US, although it won’t be as intense as the Northern Lights we witnessed last month .
Northern lights or auroras illuminate the night sky over Vienna during a geomagnetic storm … [+]
Key facts
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a warning that a G2 geomagnetic storm has occurred on Friday, meaning there is moderate solar activity, there may be a chance to see the Northern Lights on Friday night.
This G2 geomagnetic storm could cause “moderately intense” disturbances to the Earth’s magnetic field, and storm intensity levels could vary between low and moderate during the event, according to NOAA.
Canada has a better chance of seeing the lights, while they may be visible in many parts of the continental US on Saturday night, according to the warning.
Friday night’s aurora is expected to have a Kp index of three, meaning the lights will move farther from the poles and appear brighter to observers, according to NOAA.
However, the auroras are extremely difficult to predict, and since Friday’s geomagnetic storm is not as strong as the storms that caused the lively auroras in May, if they are visible, the lights on Friday night will not be as noticeable.
Where will the Northern Lights be seen tonight?
Although it’s difficult for astronomers to determine where the Northern Lights will be visible, they could be seen as far south as New York, Washington and Wisconsin, according to NOAA’s warning. Other states in the line of sight include Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan and Maine.
What’s the best way to see the Northern Lights?
The lights are most active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. For the best views of the Northern Lights, the agency advises traveling as close to the poles as possible, avoiding city lights and other light pollution, monitoring weather forecasts for excellent viewing conditions and find a position at a vantage point such as the top of a hill. Smartphone cameras are sensitive enough to catch the aurora borealis even when it is invisible to the naked eye. Visit Iceland, a tourism website for Iceland, where the lights are often seen, advises that turning on night mode is best for maximizing smartphone camera exposure.
Key background
An event called Solar Cycle 25 — the cycle the sun goes through every 11 years — is responsible for the geomagnetic storms that led to recent sightings of the Northern Lights, and NASA predicts they will continue into next year. Cycle 25 began in December 2019 and is estimated to reach its maximum – when activity is expected to peak – in July 2025. It is predicted to peak with 115 sunspots from which geomagnetic storms originate. Although the maximum has not yet occurred, solar activity is busier than scientists expected, so it is possible that there will be even more geomagnetic storms by 2025, although it is difficult to predict exactly when these storms will occur .
Tangent
The Northern Lights are a band of colored light visible in the night sky, created when particles from the sun slam into the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed. These particles form from clouds created by solar storms on the Sun’s surface, and although most particles are deflected, some are captured by Earth’s magnetic field. The magnetic field then redirects these particles to either the north or south pole, causing the lights.
More information
Northern Lights 2024: Here’s When You Might See the Next Aurora Borealis (Forbes)
