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January came like a wrecking ball for skygazers, the start of the year Great sweet moon And a Large meteor shower. The ball keeps rolling, as the old saying goes, with what will likely be one of the best aurora displays of the year. Tonight’s storm is expected to be very strong and could cause the northern lights to extend as far south as Kansas.
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It’s all thanks to an X-class coronal mass ejection, which exploded from the Sun on January 18, heading straight toward Earth. The plasma and solar material contained within it will interact with Earth’s geomagnetic field, resulting in beautiful sky lights for those of us here on Earth. According to SpaceWeather, this type of coronal ejection erupted specifically Nearly seven hourswhich is much longer than usual. NOAA forecasts The results of this are evident as the geomagnetic storm continues uninterrupted with varying strengths, throughout the night and throughout the day on January 20.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says the aurora will be visible as far south as Kansas, although it will be difficult to see that far south.
Where will the aurora borealis be visible tonight?
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) forecast panel, the aurora itself will hurtle toward Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan and Maine. Alaska and Canada have the best views, as always.
It should be visible at least in Nebraska, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire. People in these states will want to get to higher ground if possible and head north for the best view.
Geomagnetic storms are a lot like regular storms here on Earth, where forecasts can only get you so far. If the storm is a little stronger than forecast, you can add Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware to the list as well. It could reach even further if the G4 storm is upgraded to a G5 storm, so keep an eye on your local news this evening in case NOAA’s forecast changes.
How to watch the Northern Lights
Tips on how to view the Northern Lights can be divided by region. If you’re in the states where the aurora borealis definitely occur, all you have to do is stay away from the light pollution in urban and suburban areas and look. The closer you are to the Canadian border, the stronger the aurora will be. You won’t need any additional equipment to see it.
Those outside the first group but still within NOAA latitude can still see the aurora borealis, but it will require a little extra work. You definitely want to stay away from the city and its suburbs, as light pollution will hinder your ability to see them. Once you are out of town, find the highest point possible and face north. Depending on the strength of the storm, you should be able to see the aurora borealis in the northern sky.
The good news is that the new moon occurred on January 18, so there will be almost no light pollution from the moon. If the sky is clear and somewhere dark, your chances of seeing the aurora are very high. If you decide to brave the cold to see the northern lights, keep it Keep an eye out for Jupiter. The brightest thing in the sky will be without the name Moon, and if you have a telescope, you can get an excellent view of the planet and its rings now.