Top line
Forecasters are predicting that the geomagnetic storm may cause enough solar activity to produce visible aurora Friday and Saturday night in parts of Canada and the US, although it won’t be as intense as last month’s aurora borealis.
The aurora borealis or northern lights 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 may be a chance to see the aurora borealis on Friday evening due to moderate solar activity.
This G2 geomagnetic storm may cause “moderately intense” disturbances to Earth’s magnetic field, and storm intensity levels may fluctuate between low and moderate over the course of the event, according to NOAA.
Canada has a higher chance of seeing the lights, while the warning says they may be visible in many parts of the continental US through Saturday night.
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, auroras are notoriously difficult to predict, and since Friday’s geomagnetic storm is not as strong as the storms that produced the brilliant auroras in May, if they are visible, Friday night’s lights will not be as prominent.
Where will the aurora borealis be seen tonight?
While it’s difficult for astronomers to determine where the aurora will be visible, according to NOAA’s warning, they may be visible as far south as New York, Washington and Wisconsin. Other states in the line of sight include Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan and Maine.
What is the best way to see the Northern Lights?
The lights are most active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. For the best view of the aurora borealis, the agency recommends traveling as close to the poles as possible, avoiding city lights and other light pollution, monitoring weather forecasts for the best viewing conditions, and finding a vantage point such as a summit Hills. Smartphone cameras are sensitive enough capture the aurora borealis, even though it is invisible to the naked eye. Visit Iceland, a tourism website for Iceland, where the lights are often visible, advises turning on night mode to increase your smartphone camera’s exposure.
Key background
An event called Solar Cycle 25 — a cycle the Sun goes through every 11 years — was the cause of the geomagnetic storms that led to the recent aurora sightings, 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, which are where geomagnetic storms form. Although the maximum has not yet occurred, solar activity has been 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
Auroras are shafts of colored light visible in the night sky that are created when particles from the sun slam into Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds. These particles are formed from clouds created by solar storms on the Sun’s surface, and although most of the particles are deflected away, some are caught in the Earth’s magnetic field. The magnetic field then redirects these particles to either the north or south pole, causing the lights to appear.
Further reading
Northern Lights 2024: Here’s where you can see more Northern Lights (Forbes)