If you’re still hoping for another aurora borealis display similar to the one on May 10-11, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that the aurora borealis, the colorful celestial event commonly known as the Northern Lights, returns from July 30-August 1. But there’s always bad news, right? This northern lights display won’t be as strong or as widespread as the one in May, but something’s better than nothing.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center first placed a geomagnetic storm warning that runs through July 31, but will be extended later on Monday extended the wait until August 1.
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“A number of complex sunspot groups are present in the visible solar disk and solar activity has increased, including an R3 (strong) solar flare Sunday night,” the center posted. “A number of (coronal mass ejections) have been associated with the increased activity, and at least four of these have predicted Earth-directed components, with possible arrivals beginning Tuesday through Thursday.”
A coronal mass ejection is essentially a break in the sun’s magnetic field, causing an explosion that shoots solar particles into space. Those solar particles are now on their way to Earth, where they can cause a geomagnetic storm.
The center issued a G3 storm warning, referring to a severe storm, for July 30, and a G2 storm warning, referring to a moderate storm, for July 31-August 1. Event from May 10-11 was even seen in areas where you don’t normally see an aurora borealis and was rated as a G5, or extreme storm. This one won’t be as strong, but keep your hopes high depending on where you live.
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“If forecast conditions occur in the late evening hours, the aurora could become visible as far south as the northeastern U.S., the upper Midwest, and the rest of the northern states, including northern Oregon,” the forecast center said.
Want a low-key reminder? If you expect to see the Northern Lights in your home region, keep an eye on social media over the next few nights. As soon as your neighbors see the Northern Lights, you know they’ll be sharing photos and locations.
When and how can you see the Northern Lights?
City dwellers are at a disadvantage when it comes to seeing the Northern Lights because of light pollution, which is pretty much what it sounds like, the lighting up of the city night sky from street lights and other sources, which hinders our ability to see stars and planets.
If you’re determined to see the Northern Lights and your region of the country is on your route, you could try driving to a rural area without street lights. Unfortunately, the weather forecast can get in your way. Cloudy conditions can sweep across any state at any time, making it even more difficult to predict the Northern Lights.
There is no specific time when it is best to see or photograph an aurora event. If the sky where you are is dark, you might be able to see it, and that is about as specific as meteorologists can be. And it can come and go. You can see an aurora, think it is gone, only to see the sky light up again an hour later.
This is a busy summer for celestial events. A six-planet parade is expected on August 23, and an upcoming nova is also expected to light up the night sky, but the exact date is not yet known.
