Get ready, stargazers!
The Northern Lights could be visible in US states on Friday, March 6, after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a geomagnetic storm watch.
NOAA has warned that minor G1 class geomagnetic storms are likely.
Geomagnetic effects may include the possibility of northern lights seen in the night sky further south than usual.
The Northern Lights are triggered by geomagnetic storms when solar particles crash into Earth’s atmospheric gases, resulting in dazzling lights in the sky.
This week’s potential display is caused by a burst of fast-moving solar wind flowing from a coronal hole on the Sun’s surface.
When this stream of charged particles reached Earth, it generated our planet’s magnetic field, triggering the swirling veils of light we commonly know as the aurora borealis.
What is the best time to see the northern lights?
The Northern Lights can be seen on Friday, March 6, after NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center issued a G-1 class geomagnetic storm.
The outlook suggested minor geomagnetic disturbances that may push the northern lights further south than usual.
However, due to the solar wind moving at varying speeds, it is difficult to predict an exact time, but experts suggest monitoring real-time aurora forecasts throughout the evening and overnight.
Where can you catch the northern lights tonight?
If geomagnetic activity reaches expected levels, the northern lights may be visible across northern US states near the Canadian border, including Alaska, the northern regions of Washington, Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and Maine.
If activity peaks, viewing opportunities may extend further south with northern lights becoming visible in northern areas of Nebraska, Oregon, Iowa, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Vermont and New Hampshire.
