Heads up aurora chasers! The northern lights could obtain a lift tonight as Earth is forecast to be hit by the primary of a collection of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) launched from the solar earlier this week.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm watch for Oct. 16 resulting from a number of incoming photo voltaic storms. The strongest affect is predicted late on Thursday night time into early Friday morning.
Where and when can you see the northern lights tonight?
According to NOAA’s Kp index forecast, geomagnetic storming is predicted to peak between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. EDT (2100 and 0300 GMT on Oct. 17), with the Kp index estimated to succeed in 5.67, firmly inside G2 ranges.
Based on the latest NOAA aurora forecast map, the next 15 U.S. States seem absolutely or partially above the aurora view line:
- Alaska
- Washington
- Idaho
- Montana
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin
- Michigan
- New York
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Wyoming
- Iowa
But keep in mind, that auroras are extremely unpredictable, so even if you happen to’re inside the view line, you may nonetheless want cloud-free skies, minimal gentle air pollution, a transparent view northward and slightly little bit of luck to catch the present.
Northern Hemisphere aurora forecast courtesy of the Met Office
How to see the northern lights where you live
If you’re in one of the 15 U.S. states listed above, here are some tips for catching a glimpse of the display.
- Head to a dark location far from city lights.
- Find a north-facing view with a clear horizon.
- Look up around midnight to 2 a.m. local time, but keep watch as soon as skies darken.
- Be patient. Auroras often come in waves and can appear faint at first.
We recommend downloading a space weather app that provides aurora forecasts based on your location. One option I use is “My Aurora Forecast & Alerts,” available for both iOS and Android. However, any comparable app ought to work nicely. I additionally use the “Space Weather Live” app, which is out there on iOS and Android, to get a deeper understanding of whether or not the present area climate situations are favorable for aurora sightings.
What’s inflicting the aurora exercise?
The newest predicted burst of geomagnetic exercise is being pushed by the anticipated arrival of multiple CMEs that left the sun between Oct. 11 and Oct. 13. The combined arrival of several CMEs in close succession could result in a “stacked” impact, a cumulative disturbance to Earth’s magnetic field that makes heightened geomagnetic activity more likely.