Northern Lights Visible in 17 States This Week Due to 'Double Eruption' From the Sun
Look up at the night sky this week and you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the northern lights. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center (NOAA SWPC), the aurora borealis could be seen across the United States on Tuesday, April 15, and Wednesday, April 16, due to a geomagnetic storm.
According to SpaceWeather.com, two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) erupted from the sun and are expected to hit Earth's magnetic field on April 16. The impact could cause G1 (minor) to G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday. The CMEs were caused by a double eruption on the sun.
Per the NOAA, the Kp index may reach six over the next couple of days. The Kp Index is a numeric scale, ranging from one to 10, that describes geomagnetic activity. For Kp in the six to seven range, "the aurora will move even further from the poles and will become quite bright and active," the NOAA states.
The NOAA's aurora view line predicts that most of Canada will have a front-row view of the northern lights this week, as well as parts of the U.S, including those living in Washington, northern Oregon, northern Idaho, Montana, northern Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, northern Iowa, Wisconsin, northern Illinois, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Alaska.
The best time to see the northern lights is during the evening from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. local time. "There may be aurora in the evening and morning but it is usually not as active and therefore, not as visually appealing," the NOAA states. Find a location away from city or street lights and air pollution.
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