Northern Lights Forecast: Aurora Borealis Expected To Be Seen In 8 States Tonight
The aurora borealis could be visible from eight states in the continental U.S. Monday night as space weather forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predict a solar radiation storm and continued geomagnetic activity over the next three days.
KEY FACTS
A modest solar radiation storm is likely to make the aurora borealis visible in Canada and the northern United States on Monday night, possibly extending into South Dakota.
According to NOAA, there is a risk of a solar radiation storm reaching the S1 (minor) threshold by Wednesday due to increased solar flares in numerous regions.
NOAA assigns a grade of S1 to S5 to solar radiation storms, which occur when magnetic eruptions accelerate particles from the sun at millions of kilometers per hour before they penetrate the atmosphere between the north and south poles, based on strength observed by NASA satellites.
The northern lights are expected to be visible over Canada, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan on Monday.
By Tuesday, the view line will migrate slightly north, making the aurora borealis unlikely to be visible from the mainland US.
KEY BACKGROUND
The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, are most visible in August through early April, with October, November, and April having the highest visibility. The lights can seem as patches of incandescent light in the sky or whirling lights that appear to be pink, blue, green, yellow and purple. Particles from the sun that enter the Earth’s atmosphere at its magnetic poles interact with the Earth’s magnetic field to produce the lights. Particles can revert to a lower energy state during collisions, releasing aurorae—bright light particles.
SURPRISING FACT
The particles that will be visible Monday night left the sun early on Friday, according to NOAA.
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