Northern Lights alert: Northern Lights would be visible again Thursday and Friday nights. Here’s what to know

We will have another good chance to see the Northern Lights in Connecticut tomorrow night and into Friday.

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) is monitoring the sun after a strong solar flare and coronal mass ejection that began Tuesday night.

The solar activity was so strong, that space forecasters have issued a severe (G4) geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday and Friday. A watch at that level is very rare, according to the SWPC.

The good news is that the coronal mass ejection gives us a good chance to see the Northern Lights both Thursday night and Friday night. In fact, forecasters say this storm includes the potential for the Aurora Borealis to be seen as far south as Alabama.

The bad news? The severity of the solar activity could also lead to disruptions in satellite operations, communications, radio, navigation, and even the electric power grid. The SWPC has contacted operators of those systems so that they can take precautions to protect the systems.

 

 

 

Northern Lights alert: Good chances of spectacular aurora Thursday night in Northeast Ohio

According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, extremely intense solar activity is expected to start on Thursday and last until Friday morning.

This indicates that beginning after sunset on Thursday and continuing through sunrise on Friday morning, there is a very good probability of witnessing the Northern Lights in Northeast Ohio and pretty much the whole northern United States.

These lights might even be better than the ones from May.

“Geomagnetic Storm conditions were already anticipated for 11 October due to possible enhancements associated with the filament eruption from 08 October,” states spaceweather.gov.

To put it simply, a powerful geomagnetic storm on the sun is hurling a lot of “stuff” toward us, which contributes to the auroras.

Additionally, the website indicates a high likelihood of radio interference, which implies periodic problems with satellite, cellular, and radio service. “Justification: R1-R2 (Minor-Moderate) radio blackouts are anticipated, with a possibility for isolated R3 (Strong or greater) radio blackout events through October 11th,” the website states.

When a show of purple and green lights filled the night sky in May, thousands of people in Cleveland were amazed. There are still a lot of people that want to view the lights.

How to photograph the Northern Lights

You must be wondering if your smartphone will allow you to take a picture of them. Yes and no, as it turns out.

 

 

You should have a good enough phone to do so if you have a more recent Android (Samsung Galaxy 9 or later) or iPhone (iPhone 11 and up). Certain outdated phones simply aren’t functional enough. Naturally, you shouldn’t have any issues if you have a good DSLR.

 

 

Finding a place that is dark and distant from city lights should be your first priority. Lake Erie’s Fairport Harbor is a really pleasant location because the northern sky is well visible. However, as long as you’re roughly 25 miles away from a major metropolis, anywhere will do, especially near the lakeside, and even then, these might be extremely visible from Cleveland. Additionally, if at all possible, attempt to include an intriguing subject in the lower front of your picture, such as a lighthouse or barn, to enhance the overall appeal of the image.

 

 

As you’ll be taking a long exposure—between five and thirty seconds—you’ll also need a tripod because you can’t hold a camera or smartphone that long without getting camera movement in your pictures.

The camera app on the more recent iPhone models offers a feature called “night mode” that activates when it’s dark outside. You can change the exposure time in the night mode by navigating to a menu item via a pull-down menu, which allows you to change it between two and ten seconds.

 

 

Many Android users have access to a “Pro mode” in the camera settings, where a multitude of parameters can be changed. In terms of ISO, shutter speed, and other parameters, this also applies to Android phones.

 

 

When utilizing a DSLR, adjust the ISO to approximately 800, the shutter speed to 10 seconds (many DSLRs allow for up to 30 seconds in manual mode), and utilize the lens’s fastest f-stop. To obtain the best exposure for your circumstances, you’ll need to experiment because the Northern Lights’ brightness varies. The benefit is that you can quickly determine whether you need to use a longer or shorter shutter speed and make the necessary adjustments. Here’s an expert tip: take RAW shots so you can edit them on your computer later and have more control over your images.

Finally, if you don’t own a DSLR or a more recent smartphone, you should just prepare to watch the light show as it spirals overhead.

 

 

It is an experience you will never forget.