Will South Carolina see the auror borealis, Autumn Star in October?

• The “Autumn Star” Fomalhaut might be seen within the southern sky throughout October.
• This 12 months, the planet Saturn will seem close to Fomalhaut, which usually seems alone.
• A latest geomagnetic storm will increase the opportunity of seeing the northern lights in some U.S. states.

It’s early October, and autumn is giving Upstate South Carolina a cool welcome, with lows dropping into the 50s this week.

Vibrant leaves are additionally starting to scatter throughout the sidewalks and roads, showering the season in earthy shades of scarlet and gold. Then there’s the sky, the place the “Fomalhaut Autumn Star” is able to rise. The northern lights may even glow in all of their glory, relying on the place you reside within the U.S.

According to Forbes, “Fomalhaut is the brightest star in Piscis Austrinus, visible from mid-northern latitudes only in autumn,” which sits low within the south.

Here’s when stargazers ought to seize their binoculars to witness each celestial occasions as they gentle up the sky within the United States and perhaps even in South Carolina.

What is the Autumn Star Fomalhaut?

Fomalhaut is a white sizzling star about 25 light-years away, and in area, it’s thought-about younger at “just 440 millions years old,” per EarthSky. It is sort of double the mass and dimension of the solar, radiating over 16 instances its power.

The star goes by a couple of nicknames, however “Autumn Star” and “Loneliest Star” are essentially the most notable, the latter attributed to Fomalhaut showing to be the one shining star within the expansive stretch of sky.

But the star, which arcs solitarily within the fall within the Northern Hemisphere in most years, will not be so alone in 2025.

“The bright planet Saturn is near in the sky, so that ― when you look southward on Northern Hemisphere autumn evenings ― you see two bright objects,” EarthSky stated. “Fomalhaut will be the one that’s twinkling, Saturn will shine with a steady light.”

Can I see the Autumn Star in South Carolina?

Fomalhaut will sparkle alongside Saturn within the southern sky on Oct. 3 ― the height of the harvest moon. The Old Farmer’s Almanac stated the star will rise southeast in Greenville at 7:14 p.m., crossing the meridian at 11:44 p.m. and setting at 4:18 a.m.

Will South Carolina see the northern lights this fall?

There is a chance that South Carolinians may get a glimpse of the northern lights, or aurora borealis, this month.

In October 2024, a robust geomagnetic storm pushed the aurora borealis lights additional south, permitting it to be seen throughout the state. Autumn is a season the place circumstances for viewing are particularly favorable, when the nights are darkish sufficient to see them, however not as chilly as deep winter.

Arctic Circle areas like Alaska, Finland, Sweden and Norway expertise the aurora extra visibly because of their excessive altitudes. However, there are larger than normal probabilities that skywatchers in northern U.S. states will get to see them, too.

An Oct. 1 alert from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said a G3 (sturdy) geomagnetic storm circumstances have been noticed in Earth’s magnetic area because of coronal mass ejections. Forbes reported that the aurora has been seen as far south as Illinois throughout comparable storm strengths of the previous.

While the auroras have been seen within the South, states further north usually have the best chance of spotting them.

Auroras from area: See auroras from space in this ‘wild’ timelapse captured by NASA astronaut on space station

When ought to I be looking out for the aurora borealis?

To get the perfect view of the aurora, you’ll want to place your self at a transparent vantage level wanting north two hours earlier than and after midnight, stated Forbes. You also needs to be in a darkish spot away from different sources of sunshine, together with the town.

Nina Tran covers trending matters for The Greenville News. Reach her by way of e-mail at ntran@gannett.com.