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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Want to see northern lights in WA tonight? How to find areas with less light
If you're in Washington state and missed seeing the northern lights over the weekend that resulted from a 'severe' G4-level geomagnetic storm, you'll get another chance on Monday night. A second alert for a G3-level storm was issued by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center for the night of June 2. People who are in Olympia and farther north up to Bellingham should have partly clear skies and a chance to see the aurora borealis after sunset around 9 p.m. Tacoma is expected to have mostly clear skies. In eastern Washington, the Tri-Cities area should have the best chance to see the lights, with nothing but clear skies in the evening forecast. Geomagnetic storms are classified on a scale of one through five, with G3 and higher indicating a strong storm. A G4 storm, like the one that was observed over the weekend, can cause a 'major disturbance in Earth's magnetic field,' according to NOAA. Such a storm can produce auroras visible from much of the northern United States if conditions allow. Much of Washington will have a chance to see the northern lights on Monday night, according to NOAA's experimental aurora prediction dashboard, although the likelihood is in the low to moderate range. The dashboard is updated throughout the day. The chances of seeing the aurora are better the farther north you are, and the less light pollution there is around you. To find spots near you with low light pollution, you can search using interactive maps online. Here are some useful light pollution map sites: Dark Site Finder Light Pollution Map ClearDarkSky Light Pollution Map app Light Pollution Atlas
Axios
28-01-2025
- Axios
Utah is the heart of a booming night-sky tourism industry
Night-sky tourism, or "noctourism," is set to be a major travel driver this coming year, predicts. Why it matters: Utah has already been pushing stargazing hard, with a fast-spreading campaign to get parks, towns and resorts certified as " International Dark Sky Places." There are 29 in the state — the highest concentration in the world, per the state tourism office, and 155 listed nationally. The big picture: The trend could bring travelers — and their dollars — to more remote locales with better night skies. Zoom in: All five of Utah's national parks are certified Dark Sky places, as are many state parks, national monuments and towns like Moab, Helper and Torrey. Between the lines: A lot of the best stargazing destinations don't advertise themselves. Utah has plenty of remote country roads where you can simply pull over, step outside and look up. How it works: You can use Dark Site Finder's online map to help you plan some noctourism of your own. Try an app like Sky Guide to ID the planets and stars you're seeing. Just keep the brightness low to avoid ruining your night vision. Use flashlights or headlamps with red LEDs, for the same reason. The intrigue: With the sun now in "solar maximum," it's also prime time for aurora-hunting in northern-latitude locales like Alaska, Iceland and the Nordic countries. Yes, but: Some astronomers and stargazers are worried that the ever-increasing amount of satellites and space junk in low Earth orbit could mar our views of the night sky — perhaps forever.
