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According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Northern Lights are more likely than usual to appear for viewers in some northern states because Earth could see geomagnetic storms caused by coronal mass ejections from the Sun.
Earth could also experience light to moderate geomagnetic storms Thursday evening, NOAA said.
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Key facts
NOAA forecasters predicted a Kp index of five out of nine for Thursday evening, meaning the northern lights have a chance to appear “brighter” than usual and visible further south.
Earth could also experience the effects of light to moderate geomagnetic storms from Thursday evening to Friday morning, forecasters said, due to coronal mass ejections escaped from the Sun between October 11 and 13.
Line of sight of the aurora for Thursday.
NOAA
Where will the Northern Lights be visible?
The Northern Lights could be visible in many states along the Canada-US border, including parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana and North Dakota, while northern Wyoming could also catch the Northern Lights. In the Midwest, the aurora could also be visible over the skies of Minnesota, Wisconsin, northern Iowa, most of Michigan and most of South Dakota. They also have a chance of appearing over the northeastern border states, including upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Most of Alaska is also in NOAA’s line of sight for Thursday night’s northern lights.
What are coronal mass ejections?
Coronal mass ejections are bursts of plasma that escape from the Sun’s corona, its outermost atmosphere. This material can cause geomagnetic storms when it interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field. NOAA predicts the possibility of light to moderate geomagnetic storms due to ejections that escaped from the Sun a few days ago, rated G1 or G2 out of five on its scale. These storms can impact power systems, high-frequency radio transmissions, and satellites, although recent storms have not resulted in significant impacts. They can also make the Northern Lights visible further south.
Will Earth see radio blackouts?
NOAA also projects a 60% chance of minor to moderate radio outages over the next three days, with a slight chance of a “strong” radio outage due to solar flares. Solar flares can disrupt high-frequency radio contact on the sunny side of Earth, and a severe power outage (an R3 on NOAA’s scale of five) can cause a loss of radio contact for about an hour.
What is the best way to see the Northern Lights?
NOAA experts recommend that potential spectators travel north toward the Earth’s magnetic north pole, located in Canada. Spectators should find a vantage point with a clear view of the northern sky and set out to observe the lights when they are most active, usually between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
