(NEXSTAR) — Sky watchers across the country had the chance to see stunning celestial shows already this year, from a total solar eclipse, the return of the “Devil’s Comet” and numerous nights colored by the northern lights. There’s also a chance we’ll see a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ explosive event bring a ‘new’ star to the night sky for the first time in around 80 years.
There’s still a good chance this summer we’ll see one of those galactic gems – the Northern Lights.
Back in May, we saw solar storms strong enough to bring the northern lights as far south as Florida and Hawaii, areas where the aurora borealis is rarely seen.
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MOUNT MITCHELL, UNITED STATES – MAY 10: Unusual solar activity created a G5 geostorm on Earth, sparking the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) in Mount Mitchell, North Carolina, United States on May 10, 2024. (Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images ) -
SMITHFIELD, MAINE – MAY 11, 2024: The northern lights dance across the sky as they reflect in the still water of North Pond in Smithfield, Maine on May 11, 2024. The aurora borealis, commonly called the northern lights, are electrically charged particles that interact with gases in space. This recent display was the strongest seen since 2003, rated G5 on the geomagnetic scale. (Photo by Michael Seamans/Getty Images) -
CALIFORNIA, USA – MAY 11: Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) light up the sky over San Francisco’s North Bay as seen from China Camp Beach in San Rafael, California, USA on May 11, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) -
CALIFORNIA, USA – MAY 11: Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) light up the sky over San Francisco’s North Bay as seen from China Camp Beach in San Rafael, California, USA on May 11, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) -
The Aurora Borealis, or northern lights, are seen from Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Although much of the US hasn’t seen the northern lights recently, that could soon change.
What causes the northern lights?
It’s solar storms — specifically solar flares and coronal mass ejections, or CMEs — that cause the northern lights. CMEs are essentially explosions of plasma and magnetic material ejected from the sun into space.
If this material moves in the right direction, it can collide with Earth’s magnetic field, sending particles streaming toward the North and South Poles. These particles will interact with the gases in our atmosphere, creating excess energy that turns into bursts of light, better known to us as the aurora borealis.
How far south the northern lights travel in the US is determined by the strength of geomagnetic storms—the stronger they are, the further south the aurora can appear.
Why are the northern lights so active lately?
The recent bouts of auroral activity we’ve seen are largely due to where we are in solar cycle 25. During solar cycles, the sun reverses its poles. When the cycle peaks, the sun also becomes much more active.
Earlier this year, the largest solar flare in years was detected, and more have been reported since then. This includes an M9.3 eruption discovered on June 23 in the same region, which has produced six X-class eruptions (eruptions are ranked among four classes, starting with B, then C, M and finally X). Unfortunately, the eruption was not predicted to bring the aurora to the US
The best part? It doesn’t look like we’ve peaked at Solar Cycle 25.
We may not reach solar maximum for several more months, Mark Misch, a researcher at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, tells Nexstar. At least if you consider the solar maximum, when we see the maximum number of sunspots or the maximum energy flow of certain radio waves.
However, Miesch sees the solar maximum “as a period of increased activity.”
“Like space weather’s version of hurricane season,” he explained. “By this definition, a solar maximum can last about 2 years or more. And if you define solar maximum that way, then I would say that we are already at solar maximum and that it is likely to continue through late 2024 and into 2025.
Will we see more northern lights soon?
According to Miesch, more strong solar storms are expected throughout the rest of this year, into 2025 and potentially even into 2026.
Although SWPC and scientists around the world monitor the sun and try to predict what activity, if any, will eventually affect us, it can be difficult to say exactly when CMEs will hit Earth. Once CMEs are within 1 million miles of our planet, it gets easier, but the wait time drops to about 15 to 45 minutes.
If current forecasts are correct and the maximum of solar activity continues in the coming months, at least some Americans will soon have the chance to see the northern lights again. As for whether they make it to Florida and Hawaii again, you’ll have to stay tuned.
