Upgraded Northern Lights Alert: 14 States May See Aurora This Weekend
Days after the Northern Lights were glimpsed from northern U.S states — including Idaho, New Hampshire, Michigan and even Massachusetts — displays may be visible once again on Saturday night (July 26-27), according to a forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center.
Although astronomical darkness is in short supply at northerly latitudes, sky-watchers in 14 U.S. states may have a chance to see the aurora borealis on the northern horizon during the night into Sunday morning.
Northern Lights Tonight: Latest Forecast
The agency's new three-day forecast indicates a minor geomagnetic storm, measured at a value of up to G1 on a scale of G1 to G5. According to NOAA's forecast, the Kp index — which provides a rough guide to the intensity of aurora displays — may reach 5 around 09:00-12:00 UTC (4:00 a.m. through 7:00 a.m. EDT).
However, there is also a possibility that the geomagnetic storm could be a stronger G2 event. In a discussion post, NOAA officials stated that a G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm is likely on July 27 'with a chance for isolated G2 (Moderate) periods due to CME effects from an event that left the Sun on 23 July.'
According to Spaceweather.com, the cause is a coronal mass ejection — a clump of charged particles ejected by the sun on July 23 — which is expected to interact with Earth's atmosphere. NASA's WSA-Enlil model has the CME striking Earth.
Northern Lights Tonight: Where Aurora May Be Visible
Keep an eye on NOAA's latest aurora viewline for an indication of exactly where aurora displays will potentially be seen from, but it will likely include parts of 14 northern U.S. states, and Canada, on July 26/27.
U.S. states that may see aurora include (northerly parts of) Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Areas far from light pollution are likely to offer the best views.
Check NOAA's 30-minute forecast or use the Glendale App for the latest forecasts and real-time information on substorms.
Northern Lights Tonight: Why Aurora Are Being Seen So Far South
The aurora borealis is being seen at more southerly latitudes than usual due to an increase in solar activity. Magnetic activity on the sun is currently at a 23-year high because it's reached solar maximum — the height of our star's 11-year solar cycle.
Having possibly peaked in late 2024, the sun may now be quietening down, but solar maximum periods often have double peaks. It's also known that some of the best aurora displays can happen in the two years post-solar maximum. Decent aurora sightings in the U.S. are thus expected through 2026 and 2027.
Northern Lights Tonight: Best Places And Times To See The Aurora
The best places to see the Northern Lights are those at about 65 degrees north latitude between September and March (when there is sufficient hours of darkness). This is where the auroral oval sits, making northern Norway, northern Sweden, northern Finland, Iceland, Alaska and northern Canada reliable places for aurora sightings when skies are clear.
Northern Lights Tonight: Aurora Explained
The Northern Lights are caused by disturbances in Earth's magnetic field created by the solar wind. As charged particles accelerate along the magnetic field lines toward the polar regions, they collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms, exciting them. That causes a photon of light to be released.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
6 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump's budget takes aim at gold standard measurement of atmospheric carbon dioxide
In its latest assault on science, the Trump administration has proposed eliminating funding for the Mauna Loa Observatory on Hawaii's Big Island, the place that has helped us understand how the rise in greenhouse gases is causing climate change. Measurements made at remote sites around the world, located away from industrial activities, provide the most direct evidence of this global increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. The Mauna Loa Observatory, where the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Oceanic and Atmospheric Research makes carbon measurements, is the most famous of these. Located on the barren slopes of a volcano 11,135 feet above sea level, it's the site of the longest continuous CO2 measurement in the world. In 1958, American scientist Charles David Keeling began measuring atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide at Mauna Loa and by 1961 had compiled enough data to establish that they were steadily rising. When Keeling's measurements began, the scientific community lacked a comprehensive understanding of the global carbon cycle. Deciding to go to Hawaii to do this, away from local contamination and vegetation, was a stroke of genius. The continuous record of this increase came to be known as ' the Keeling Curve, ' and it showed that if humans keep burning fossil fuels, atmospheric carbon will rise. This, in turn, increases global temperatures. Think of the measurements recorded at Mauna Loa as a health indicator for the planet — similar to human cholesterol levels being monitored by a doctor. Our view of the world changed the moment when these measurements began. They showed us that humanity can pull the levers of the planetary machine in a way that matters for us all. By making these measurements, the U.S. government has helped monitor the vital signs of our planet, providing us with an understanding of how serious the problem is. The Keeling Curve is valuable to science, but it is also a treasure that belongs to humanity as the most poignant indication of our impact on the environment and as a testament to our ability to document it. The Mauna Loa Observatory deserves the same respect as a UNESCO World Heritage site. But President Donald Trump, a renowned climate change denier, has shown repeatedly that he has no use for scientific data that disproves his preconceived assumptions. Since his second inauguration, he has proposed drastic cuts to science agencies like National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, NASA and the NOAA, so the proposed elimination of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research at Mauna Loa is no great surprise. While the Senate and House Appropriations Committees have both decided on budgets for NOAA that are only slight reductions from last year, the fate of the agency's Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, which accounts for roughly 10% of the total NOAA budget, remains uncertain because the two budgets still have to be reconciled and voted on by Congress. Although other nations track atmospheric carbon dioxide in specific regions, none offer global coverage comparable to NOAA's, and none extend as far back as the Mauna Loa data. Today, NOAA operates a network of four global measurement stations in Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa and the South Pole, as well as 84 sampling sites in 37 countries worldwide. These sites collect samples, which are then sent to the laboratory in Boulder, Colo., for analysis. The NOAA stations are part of the World Meteorological Organization's Global Atmosphere Watch Programme, and NOAA also calibrates measurements taken by other countries. These sustained observations enable scientists and policymakers to understand our impact on the environment and make informed decisions. Seeing the data also reveals to the general public the consequences of our actions and the inadequacy of our response to date — atmospheric carbon dioxide continues to increase at an alarming rate. Interrupting the Mauna Loa time series, the most iconic measurement in use, would be catastrophic. It would be like interrupting the Dow Jones Industrial Average or a graph tracking the rise of the human population. We will never be able to go back and remake those measurements. The observatory provides essential information for the future, and humanity would be impoverished without it. The U.S. has been an essential partner in an international cooperative endeavor to understand our planet's carbon cycle. Science is a collaborative enterprise, and even the U.S. cannot do it all alone. The Global Carbon Budget utilizes data from NOAA and other sources for its annual reports on the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide, allowing us to understand how the atmosphere, ocean and land respond to our input of emissions. Academic science funding in the U.S. and elsewhere typically favors hypothesis-based research — specific questions that can be answered by a targeted data set. Routine observations, such as the Mauna Loa carbon record, are not typically funded by National Science Foundation, even though they are fundamental to making discoveries. This is where government agencies like NOAA come in, because it is their mandate to make these observations. NOAA has always funded these measurements because it is part of its mission — to share important knowledge and information with others. If the Trump administration is successful in the senseless destruction of NOAA's Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, other countries will need to step up and assume the responsibility of making atmospheric carbon observations and be in charge of calibrations. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is making parallel measurements of carbon dioxide at Mauna Loa, but these are supported by philanthropy and are vulnerable to the whims of funders. For now, philanthropic funding is essential to ensure these measurements continue, but it can only be a stopgap measure. The Keeling Curve is a significant and symbolic achievement for an advanced nation, and the measurements should continue until humanity has no reason to monitor atmospheric carbon in such an intensive way. We, as a society, should be proud to fund it collectively. David Ho is a professor in the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Find him on Bluesky at @
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
What you need to know about derechos, an uncommon and destructive weather event
Climate-Derecho-Explainer Prolonged wind events that unleash heavy rainfall and travel far distances sometimes qualify as derechos. Derechos can happen almost anywhere in the United States but are most common in the central and eastern regions of the country. Winds typically gust over 60 mph (97 kmh) and can cause damage comparable to tornadoes or hurricanes. Here's what you need to know about this uncommon form of extreme weather. What is a derecho? A derecho is a long-lived line of storms that often produces extreme wind damage, said Gino Izzi, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's office in Chicago. Derechos can last eight hours or longer and travel hundreds of miles (kilometers) across the country with winds typically gusting over 60 mph (97 kmh). 'There's been instances where derechos have moved from Iowa all the way to Washington, D.C.,' said Izzi. Because of the intense straight-line winds and vast distances a derecho can travel, the damage they cause is sometimes comparable to the destructive forces of tornadoes or hurricanes. Hurricanes are low-pressure systems that form over tropical or subtropical ocean waters and have organized thunderstorm activity, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Unstable air that is hot and humid is supportive of derecho formation. Derechos can happen any time of year, but July and early August are the prime time for this type of extreme weather, said Izzi. Derechos are an uncommon weather event and usually a small number occur each year, but Izzi said several years could pass without a recorded derecho. There are different types of derechos. Serial derechos tend to form with large, powerful storms and typically occur in early spring, fall and early winter. Progressive derechos are usually smaller and tend to form in summer as they feed off of hot, humid conditions. Hybrid derechos have characteristics of both serial and progressive types. Conditions that are favorable for derechos can also lead to small, embedded tornadoes, which are violently rotating columns of air that extend down from a thunderstorm and reach the ground. Derechos tend to produce much more widespread damage than tornadoes because they can produce a swath of damage that exceeds 100 miles (160 kilometers) in width, whereas the damage from violent tornadoes is typically less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide. Safety tips include using a radio to listen to the forecast, monitoring devices for severe weather alerts from the NWS and having access to a sturdy shelter. 'It can go from nice, calm weather to 100 miles per hour winds blowing down trees in literally a matter of minutes,' said Izzi. Where do derechos form? Derechos can happen almost anywhere in the U.S. but are most common in the central and eastern regions of the United States. Progressive derechos tend to favor the northern and central Plains eastward into the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Ohio Valley area. That is because domes of heat can form across central parts of the U.S. and derechos tend to form on the northern and northeastern flanks of the dome where there are high levels of atmospheric instability. This also tends to be where the jet stream winds are stronger. Humidity from crops like corn, also known as corn sweat, also magnifies how unstable the hot, humid air is. A 2003 derecho traveled from Arkansas through several southern states, including Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Two people died and 11 were hurt. A 2009 storm dubbed a Super Derecho by meteorologists traveled from western Kansas to eastern Kentucky. It caused several deaths and injuries and more than $500 million in damages by the time it had traveled more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers). A 2020 derecho that traveled from eastern Nebraska across Iowa and parts of Wisconsin and Illinois reached wind speeds of a major hurricane. The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center reported winds approaching 100 mph (160 kph) in places. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, residents emerged from their homes to find an estimated 100,000 trees had been snapped or torn out of the ground. In December 2021, a derecho in the Great Plains and Upper Midwest spawned at least 45 tornadoes, caused widespread damage and killed at least five people. Derechos can cause flash flooding Derechos can be associated with a slow-moving or nearly stationary band of thunderstorms. This could potentially lead to heavy rainfall and flash floods that can cause significant damage. Flash floods associated with a derecho that occurred July 4-5, 1969, caused Killbuck Creek in Ohio to rise more than 20 feet (6 meters) above normal level and at least two dozen fatalities, according to NOAA. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
The Verge
12 hours ago
- The Verge
Did... did a guy just save a picture of a bird to a bird's brain?
Posted Jul 28, 2025 at 8:07 PM UTC Did... did a guy just save a picture of a bird to a bird's brain? YouTube acoustic explorer Benn Jordan appears to have gotten a starling — a bird arguably better at mimicry than a parrot — to do that! He turns a drawing into sound, the bird repeats the sound, and a similar drawing shows up on the computer. 'I saved a PNG image to a bird,' his video claims. The result isn't surprising because of course these birds can repeat sounds — but how often do we think of sound as encoded visual data? Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates. Sean Hollister Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Sean Hollister Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News
