When we can watch the Northern Lights? Where can see Northern Lights? would be the most asked questions on the Internet by US users for this week.
A solar storm, which is expected on Thursday, will likely provide skywatchers with the opportunity to see the Northern Lights, which occur when the solar wind strikes the atmosphere. The phenomenon is expected to occur in 17 states throughout the United States, including three in New England.
Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, are frequently seen in Alaska, Canada, and Scandinavia; however, the 11-year solar cycle, which is predicted to peak in 2024, will make the lights visible in the southern hemisphere.
On Thursday, the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks issued an auroral activity forecast for New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.
If the weather conditions remain favourable, the northern lights will undoubtedly illuminate the night skies in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Indiana, Maine, and Maryland.
According to the UAF Institute’s forecast, “Auroral activity will be high(+).” Highly active auroral displays will be visible overhead from Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin, and Iqaluit to Vancouver, Helena, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Bay City, Toronto, Montpelier, and Charlottetown, and low on the horizon from Salem, Boise, Cheyenne, Lincoln, Indianapolis, and Annapolis, weather permitting.”
When is the best time to see the Aurora Borealis in the night sky?
People who want to see the aurora borealis should stay away from city lights, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Centre, and the optimum time to see it is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time.
The appearance and brilliance of the aurora borealis are heavily influenced by geomagnetic activity. As the date approaches, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will closely watch the activities. NOAA will provide its own prediction to aid potential viewers.
The most recent occurrence happened in the United States in late April. The aurora borealis might be observed in 30 US states during a geomagnetic storm.
The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Centre explained the natural phenomenon of northern lights, saying, “Aurora is the name given to the glow or light produced when electrons from space flow down Earth’s magnetic field and collide with atoms and molecules of the upper atmosphere in a ring or oval centred on the magnetic pole of Earth.”
