Stunning Northern Lights could be visible in 15 states tonight— and even New York may get lucky
The Northern lights could light up the sky across 15 states tonight — including the Empire State.
Overnight — Aug. 18 to 19 — a burst of solar wind is expected to create a minor geomagnetic storm, allowing Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, South Dakota, Vermont, New Hampshire, Idaho, Washington, New York, Wyoming and Iowa to see stunning skies overhead.
3 The Aurora Borealis will be shining from late August 18 until the early morning hours of August 19 in these specific 15 states.
Getty Images
The best chance to see the auroras will be between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. local time.
These lights can be visible from up to 600 miles away, so you don't need to be directly under them to see them.
For the best view, experts suggest heading to a dark spot away from city lights and looking north, specifically between midnight and 2 a.m.
And luckily, you don't need any special equipment to take in the beauty — just look up at the sky. If you want to capture the moment, using the 'night mode' on your smartphone should be enough to snap some good photos.
3 The states most likely to see the auroras tonight are: Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, South Dakota, Vermont, New Hampshire, Idaho, Washington, New York, Wyoming and Iowa.
NOAA
Luckily for those who don't want to stay up super late to catch the jaw-dropping view, researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) believe that it should be visible through Wednesday, Aug. 20.
The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, occur when charged particles from the sun — known as solar wind — collide with Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere, according to Space.com.
3 The best chance to see the auroras will be between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. local time.
Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
These particles are funneled toward the poles, where they interact with gases like oxygen and nitrogen, exciting them and causing them to release light.
The color of the aurora depends on the gas and altitude. Green is most common, while red and purple are rarer. Geomagnetic storms, often caused by solar flares, can intensify these displays, making the auroras brighter and visible further south, according to Perlan.
The lights tonight are expected to appear with moderate intensity.
Earlier this month, while in space stationed on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, NASA astronaut Anne McClain was lucky enough to capture on her phone the moment that the aurora borealis illuminated over Earth.
'I love how this one illuminated our Dragon, and I also love the dance of satellites on the left in the latter part of the video,' McClain captioned her video shared to X. 'It's interesting how the aurora creeps along the top of the atmosphere as it comes up over the horizon. I have added traveling to see auroras from Earth to my bucket list!'
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