Latest news with #geomagneticstorm
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
You Can Still See the Aurora Borealis Tonight. Here's Where the Brightest Lights Will Glow
The Fourth of July holiday will bring explosive light shows on Friday night, but many folks will see much quieter and calmer lights in the sky tonight, as recent solar activity will continue to bring the Aurora Borealis to several US states. Wednesday night marks the winding down of a Kp 4 magnetic storm that the Space Weather Prediction Center reported starting late Monday evening. The K-Index measures the horizontal impact of geomagnetic storms, and a Kp4 or Kp 5 rating results in what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls a "moderate" aurora. As Wednesday night turns into Thursday morning, the aurora will pull back a little and become less visible, unless you're on the northern border with Canada. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, Wednesday night's aurora will be visible in Alaska, Washington state, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Maine. The northernmost sections of New York, Vermont and New Hampshire might get lucky as well. Alaska and Canada will have the best views by a wide margin, with virtually the entire state of Alaska getting coverage. Much like with the Earth's weather, space weather prediction can be hit or miss. So if you're in any of the above states, it's worth taking a look if you're up that late. The magnetic storm may be slightly stronger or weaker than forecast, which will affect how far south the northern lights reach. This event won't be as strong as the epic show we saw in May 2024. The standard space viewing tips all apply here. You'll get a better view if you get away from the city and suburbs to avoid light pollution. Weather will play a role as well, since any clouds will obfuscate the view. If you attempt to photograph the aurora, we recommend using long exposure times to give your camera more time to soak in the light. Other than that, you'll want to look toward the northern horizon to give yourself the best chance at a good view, since (as you may've guessed) that's where the northern lights originate.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Here are all the places in the US that you can see the northern lights tonight
People in some parts of the U.S. may be able to see the northern lights this evening. Weather permitting, residents of more than a dozen states could hit the jackpot, according to the most recent forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center - Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Washington, and New York. For the best chance to catch the phenomenon, skywatchers should head to areas away from light pollution at around 2 a.m. local time. However, auroras can be fickle, showing up in areas other than where they are expected. The dazzling display is caused by an incoming coronal mass ejection: a burst of plasma and solar material released by the sun and headed our way. The result of this celestial event is often a geomagnetic storm, which is triggered when the eruption travels through space and interacts with Earth's magnetic field. 'A G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for 02 Jul (UTC day) due to the arrival of a CME that left the Sun on 28 Jun,' the center said in a post on social media. Geomagnetic storms are what create the aurora borealis, which is light produced when particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere centered on Earth's magnetic pole. A G1 geomagnetic storm is the weakest on the scale of storms, which goes up to G5. In this minor storm, weak power grid fluctuations can occur, and a minor impact on satellite operations is possible. Stronger solar flares and coronal mass ejections can lead to radio blackouts and more severe spacecraft operation impacts, such as problems with orientation and tracking satellites. A radio blackout was observed earlier this month thanks to a strong flare. The sun is in what is known as its solar maximum period, meaning an increase in solar activity that has led to the most intense solar storm in decades and stunning displays of the northern lights across the country. Scientists have warned there may be 'much bigger' and disruptive storms en route in the coming years.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Here are all the places in the US that you can see the northern lights tonight
People in some parts of the U.S. may be able to see the northern lights this evening. Weather permitting, residents of more than a dozen states could hit the jackpot, according to the most recent forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center - Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Washington, and New York. For the best chance to catch the phenomenon, skywatchers should head to areas away from light pollution at around 2 a.m. local time. However, auroras can be fickle, showing up in areas other than where they are expected. The dazzling display is caused by an incoming coronal mass ejection: a burst of plasma and solar material released by the sun and headed our way. The result of this celestial event is often a geomagnetic storm, which is triggered when the eruption travels through space and interacts with Earth's magnetic field. 'A G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for 02 Jul (UTC day) due to the arrival of a CME that left the Sun on 28 Jun,' the center said in a post on social media. Geomagnetic storms are what create the aurora borealis, which is light produced when particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere centered on Earth's magnetic pole. A G1 geomagnetic storm is the weakest on the scale of storms, which goes up to G5. In this minor storm, weak power grid fluctuations can occur, and a minor impact on satellite operations is possible. Stronger solar flares and coronal mass ejections can lead to radio blackouts and more severe spacecraft operation impacts, such as problems with orientation and tracking satellites. A radio blackout was observed earlier this month thanks to a strong flare. The sun is in what is known as its solar maximum period, meaning an increase in solar activity that has led to the most intense solar storm in decades and stunning displays of the northern lights across the country. Scientists have warned there may be 'much bigger' and disruptive storms en route in the coming years.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Here are all the places in the US that you can see the northern lights tonight
People in some parts of the U.S. may be able to see the northern lights this evening. Weather permitting, residents of more than a dozen states could hit the jackpot, according to the most recent forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center - Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Washington, and New York. For the best chance to catch the phenomenon, skywatchers should head to areas away from light pollution at around 2 a.m. local time. However, auroras can be fickle, showing up in areas other than where they are expected. The dazzling display is caused by an incoming coronal mass ejection: a burst of plasma and solar material released by the sun and headed our way. The result of this celestial event is often a geomagnetic storm, which is triggered when the eruption travels through space and interacts with Earth's magnetic field. 'A G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for 02 Jul (UTC day) due to the arrival of a CME that left the Sun on 28 Jun,' the center said in a post on social media. Geomagnetic storms are what create the aurora borealis, which is light produced when particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere centered on Earth's magnetic pole. A G1 geomagnetic storm is the weakest on the scale of storms, which goes up to G5. In this minor storm, weak power grid fluctuations can occur, and a minor impact on satellite operations is possible. Stronger solar flares and coronal mass ejections can lead to radio blackouts and more severe spacecraft operation impacts, such as problems with orientation and tracking satellites. A radio blackout was observed earlier this month thanks to a strong flare. The sun is in what is known as its solar maximum period, meaning an increase in solar activity that has led to the most intense solar storm in decades and stunning displays of the northern lights across the country. Scientists have warned there may be 'much bigger' and disruptive storms en route in the coming years.
CNET
02-07-2025
- Climate
- CNET
You Can Still See the Aurora Borealis Tonight. Here's Where the Brightest Lights Will Glow
The Fourth of July holiday will bring explosive light shows on Friday night, but many folks will see much quieter and calmer lights in the sky tonight, as recent solar activity will continue to bring the Aurora Borealis to several US states. Wednesday night marks the winding down of a Kp 4 magnetic storm that the Space Weather Prediction Center reported starting late Monday evening. The K-Index measures the horizontal impact of geomagnetic storms, and a Kp4 or Kp 5 rating results in what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls a "moderate" aurora. As Wednesday night turns into Thursday morning, the aurora will pull back a little and become less visible, unless you're on the northern border with Canada. NOAA maps show that aurora lights will be visible in the most northern parts of the US on Wednesday. NOAA Which states could see the aurora borealis tonight? According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, Wednesday night's aurora will be visible in Alaska, Washington state, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Maine. The northernmost sections of New York, Vermont and New Hampshire might get lucky as well. Alaska and Canada will have the best views by a wide margin, with virtually the entire state of Alaska getting coverage. Much like with the Earth's weather, space weather prediction can be hit or miss. So if you're in any of the above states, it's worth taking a look if you're up that late. The magnetic storm may be slightly stronger or weaker than forecast, which will affect how far south the northern lights reach. This event won't be as strong as the epic show we saw in May 2024. Tips on viewing the northern lights The standard space viewing tips all apply here. You'll get a better view if you get away from the city and suburbs to avoid light pollution. Weather will play a role as well, since any clouds will obfuscate the view. If you attempt to photograph the aurora, we recommend using long exposure times to give your camera more time to soak in the light. Other than that, you'll want to look toward the northern horizon to give yourself the best chance at a good view, since (as you may've guessed) that's where the northern lights originate.
