(NEXSTAR) — Sky watchers across the country have already had the chance to see stunning celestial shows this year, from a total solar eclipse, the return of the “Devil’s Comet” and several nights colored by the aurora borealis. There’s also a chance we’ll see a “once-in-a-lifetime” explosive event that will bring a “new” star into the night sky for the first time in about 80 years.
There’s still a good chance we’ll see one of those galactic gems again this summer – the aurora borealis.
In May, we saw solar storms strong enough to bring the aurora as far south as Florida and Hawaii, areas where the aurora is rarely seen.
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MOUNT MITCHELL, UNITED STATES – MAY 10: Unusual solar activity created a G5 geostorm on Earth that ignited the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) on May 10, 2024 in Mount Mitchell, North Carolina, United States. (Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images) -
SMITHFIELD, MAINE – MAY 11, 2024: Aurora Borealis dance in the sky as they reflect in the still water of North Pond in Smithfield, Maine on May 11, 2024. Aurora Borealis, commonly referred to as auroras, are electrically charged particles that interact with gases in space. This recent display was the strongest since 2003, with a rating of G5 on the geomagnetic scale. (Photo: Michael Seamans/Getty Images) -
CALIFORNIA, USA – MAY 11: The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) illuminate the San Francisco North Bay sky as seen from China Camp Beach in San Rafael, California, United States on May 11, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) -
CALIFORNIA, USA – MAY 11: The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) illuminate the San Francisco North Bay sky as seen from China Camp Beach in San Rafael, California, United States on May 11, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) -
The Aurora Borealis, or northern lights, are seen from Arlington, Texas, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
While much of the US hasn’t seen the Northern Lights recently, that may soon change.
What causes the aurora borealis?
It’s solar storms—specifically, solar flares and coronal mass ejections, or CMEs—that cause auroras. CMEs are essentially bursts of plasma and magnetic material ejected from the Sun into space.
If this material is moving in the right direction, it can collide with Earth’s magnetic field and send particles toward the north and south poles. These particles will interact with gases in our atmosphere and create excess energy that will become flashes of light, better known to us as auroras.
How far south the auroras travel in the US is due to the strength of geomagnetic storms – the stronger they are, the further south the aurora can appear.
Why have the aurora borealis been so active lately?
The recent bouts of aurora that we’ve seen are largely due to where we are in solar cycle 25. During solar cycles, the Sun reverses its poles. Once it reaches the peak of the cycle, 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 the M9.3 eruption detected on June 23 in the same area, which produced six X-class eruptions (flares are ranked among four classes, starting with B, then C, M, and finally X). Unfortunately, the eruption is not expected to bring auroras to the US
The best part? We don’t seem to have reached the peak of solar cycle 25.
According to Mark Miesch, a researcher at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, we may not reach solar maximum for Nexstar for several months. 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’d say we’re already at solar maximum and it’s likely to continue through the end of 2024 and into 2025.”
Will we see another aurora soon?
More strong solar storms are expected throughout the rest of this year, throughout 2025 and potentially into 2026, according to Miesch.
While SWPC and scientists around the world watch the Sun and try to predict what, if any, activity will eventually affect us, it can be difficult to say exactly when a CME will hit Earth. Once the CMEs are within 1 million miles of our planet, this is easier, but the execution time drops to around 15 to 45 minutes.
If current forecasts are correct and solar maximum activity continues in the coming months, at least some Americans will be able to see the aurora borealis again soon. As for whether they make it to Florida and Hawaii again, you’ll have to stay tuned.