Another solar storm is forecast for Earth, meaning residents of some US states could have another chance to see the Northern Lights on Friday night.
O Space Weather Prediction Center predicted a possible geomagnetic storm arriving on Friday, May 31, and lasting until the early hours of Saturday morning. According to the organization, some states in the North may end up with suitable conditions for viewing.
The phenomena would be the result of the same cluster of sunspots responsible for the May 10 national aurora display as they rotated back into view of Earth.
The possibility of the lights reappearing largely depends on conditions and location. Here’s what you should know about your chances for a Friday night light show.
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Northern lights forecast
The forecasting center predicts a geomagnetic storm arriving on the evening of May 31st and lasting until the morning of June 1st. The storm is forecast to reach an intensity level 2 out of 5a much lower rating than the May 10 storm, rated G5 and visible in all 50 states.
A moderate storm is the result of a coronal mass ejection, or “huge bubbles of coronal plasma threaded by intense magnetic field lines that are ejected from the sun over the course of several hours,” according to NASA. The ejection is the result of a solar flare on May 29.
However, conditions are still up in the air.
“Our confidence in the G2 event is low, mainly because we expect most of the solar material from the coronal mass ejection to pass behind Earth’s orbit,” said Shawn Dahl, senior analyst at the forecasting center. “However, there were indications in our analyzes that Earth could receive flanking or proximity influence, and based on this possibility, our forecasters saw the potential for G2 levels if this were to happen.”
As the days get longer, it’s harder to see the aurora, he added, as the dark sky windows are shorter. Furthermore, there needs to be a favorable connection between the coronal mass ejection and Earth’s magnetic fields during viewing times.
He recommended that those wishing to see the Northern Lights monitor the forecast center website for updates and conditions.
Which states will have the chance to see the Northern Lights?
“The aurora may become visible in some northern and upper Midwestern states, from New York to Idaho,” the Space Weather Prediction Center said. posted in X.
Some states most likely to glimpse include:
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New Hampshire
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Vermont
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Maine
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new York
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Michigan
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Maine
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New Hampshire
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Massachusetts
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Rhodes Island
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Wisconsin
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Minnesota
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North Dakota
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South Dakota
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Montana
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Wyoming
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Idaho
When is the best time to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights?
Generally speaking, viewing the Northern Lights is best during the darkest hours of the night and early in the morning.
Friday’s lights should be seen between 11 p.m. Friday and 1 a.m. Saturday, although they can be seen until about 3 a.m., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“If G1-G2 conditions actually materialize…tonight would probably be the time to watch out – much less likely on Saturday night,” Dahl said.
What are the northern lights?
The northern lights are a luminous glow seen around the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres, according to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. Known for creating streaks of colorful light across the night sky, the aurora borealis are polar lights, or aurora polaris, that appear in the Northern Hemisphere.
The southern hemisphere has its own polar lights known as the southern lights, or aurora australis, which create their own dazzling display.
What causes the northern lights?
Simply put, auroras are the result of the Sun’s interaction with Earth’s atmosphere. A collision between electrically charged particles from the Sun and gases in Earth’s atmosphere produces a series of tiny flashes that look like moving lights in the sky. Charged particles are pulled towards the North and South poles due to the Earth’s magnetic field.
Although this magnetic field generally protects Earth from solar winds, the winds can occasionally become strong enough to bypass the field, allowing particles and gases in the magnetosphere to interact and generate colorful displays, according to the Instituto Geofisico and Instituto Geofisico. Canadian Space Agency.
This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: Will you see the Northern Lights tonight? Here’s what you should know
