Latest news with #solarflare
Forbes
a day ago
- Climate
- Forbes
Northern Lights Forecast: 15 States—Including New York—Could See Aurora Borealis Tonight
Strong geomagnetic storms could produce a northern lights show in about 15 states Monday night, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast, as a solar flare observed over the weekend has triggered powerful displays of aurora borealis. The northern lights may be visible in more than a dozen states Monday night. (Photo by Patrick ... More Pleul/picture alliance via Getty Images) NOAA forecast Monday night's aurora borealis could have a Kp index of five, the strength of the aurora borealis measured on a scale from zero to nine, indicating 'more auroral activity' that can be 'quite pleasing to look at.' The northern lights are expected to be active Monday night because of strong geomagnetic storms, which NOAA forecasts will reach a level of G3 on a scale of G1 to G5, indicating 'strong' geomagnetic storms that will disturb the Earth's magnetic field. These geomagnetic storms are linked to an Earth-bound solar flare that was emitted Friday, according to NOAA, which caused geomagnetic storms measured at a level of G4 on Sunday, indicating 'severe' strength. Sunday night's northern lights forecast was especially strong, according to NOAA, with visibility projected for nearly two dozen states. Strong northern lights conditions will continue this week, according to NOAA's three-day forecast, as lingering geomagnetic storms are expected Tuesday before decreasing in strength. Alaskans and Canadians have the highest likelihood of seeing aurora borealis Monday night, according to NOAA's forecast. Other states with strong chances of seeing the northern lights include Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. States included along the aurora's 'view line,' the southernmost point at which likelihood of seeing the northern lights is the lowest, include Wyoming, Iowa, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. Monday night's northern lights forecast. The northern lights will be easiest to see between about 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, according to NOAA. The best way to view the lights is by avoiding light pollution, traveling as far north as possible and finding a high vantage point. Travel photographers told National Geographic the best way to capture the northern lights is by using a wide-angle lens, as well as a tripod for stability. For iPhone users, the camera app's night mode can help make the lights more visible. Other tactics that can help produce a better image include using an aperture value of 4.0 or lower and adding details to the image by capturing trees, bodies of water or mountains. The northern lights have been especially active over the past year because of increased solar activity, like geomagnetic storms and solar flares. NOAA said although this weekend's flare was especially strong, scientists do not expect geomagnetic storms associated with the flare to be as strong as in May 2024, when a series of powerful solar flares triggered severe geomagnetic storms and northern lights displays as far south as Florida. Scientists say the sun is currently in its 'solar maximum,' the period in its 11-year cycle during which it is most active, though this solar cycle has exceeded scientists' expectations: NASA estimated northern lights activity in 2024 reached a 500-year peak. NASA scientists said they expect strong aurora activity to continue throughout this year before declining in the latter part of the decade. Northern Lights Displays Hit A 500-Year Peak In 2024—Here's Where You Could Catch Aurora Borealis In 2025 (Forbes)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Arkansas Storm Team Forecast: Northern Lights Possible?
A few isolated thunderstorms popped up across parts of western Arkansas this afternoon, including a quick but impressive one over western Pulaski County. A strong updraft briefly fueled the storm before it let out an outflow boundary, a cool rush of air that cut off its energy supply. These pop-up storms were rare today, and most of the state stayed dry with sunshine returning by evening. As we head into tonight, skies will remain mostly clear, but you may notice a bit of haze near the northern horizon. That is wildfire smoke from Canada. There is also a chance northern Arkansas could catch a glimpse of the northern lights thanks to a recent solar flare that triggered a G4 geomagnetic storm. This haze could impact viewing conditions however. Stay tuned for more updates. Monday brings sunshine and warm temperatures with highs climbing into the upper 80s and low 90s. The next rain chance arrives Tuesday for northwest Arkansas, with increasing clouds spreading across more of the state. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Will the northern lights be visible across the Carolinas tonight?
CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — There was a significant solar flare that took place Friday evening, which could allow for a geomagnetic storm to impact the Earth! A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm watch has been issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for Sunday night into Monday. As these coronal mass ejections get closer to Earth, that can sometimes allow the aurora borealis or northern lights to become visible. With recent G4 geomagnetic storms, the northern lights have been visible as far south as Northern Alabama and Northern California. That means there is a legit chance we could see the northern lights across the Carolinas late Sunday night into early Monday. There is also something called the Kp index. Whenever that is projected to be between levels 7-8, the Carolinas can tend to get a good viewing of the northern lights. Tonight's projection of the Kp index from NOAA is around 7.5 to 7.6. As always with these situations, there is a lot of uncertainty here and the viewing of the beautiful aurora borealis is not completely guaranteed! But it is worth a shot to at least try to view them. You obviously want to look north, but you want to try to be away from very little light pollution as well. With recent geomagnetic storms, using your camera on your phone can also be a good way to try and view them. The best chance of the viewing will be late Sunday night into early Monday. Peak viewing looks to be between the hours of 11 p.m. Sunday night and 2 a.m. Monday morning. Clouds will hopefully clear out enough following a few storms this evening. Good luck! Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Will Georgia see the aurora borealis?
Will metro Atlanta and North Georgia see the northern lights from Sunday night into Monday morning? Short answer: It's possible, but not guaranteed. What To Know A solar flare occurred Friday evening with a piece of energy directed at Earth. A G4 level geomagnetic storm began late Saturday night with northern lights visible as far south as New Mexico. The expectation is that the geomagnetic storm remains at the G4 level into Sunday night, which could pull the northern lights as far south as Metro Atlanta and Northern Georgia. The forecast as of Sunday afternoon calls for the Kp index to be at its highest between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. This could be adjusted as the day goes on. No matter the intensity of the geomagnetic storm, the general rule of thumb is that the best viewing will be away from city lights. There are several possibilities here: The storm is at its most intense just before sunset, causing Georgia to miss the opportunity to see the northern lights. The northern lights are only visible from phone cameras away from city lights and would be just dull enough, invisible to the naked eye. Nothing would be seen near city lights. The northern lights would be visible to the naked eye away from the city lights and only by phone cameras near city lights. The solar storm overperforms and reaches the G5 level. This would be equivalent to the May 2024 event and would make the northern lights visible to the naked eye and phone cameras in Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. What To Know May 2024's geomagnetic storm reached a G5 level, making the northern lights visible to the naked eye as far south as Florida. We saw another G4 geomagnetic storm a few months after the G5 storm, which caused the northern lights to only be visible to cameras in Metro Atlanta. A little change in the intensity of the geomagnetic storm makes a world of difference in the visibility this far south. Turn on "night mode" to take pictures Adjust the camera's exposure to the longest possible setting Keep your phone perfectly still, pointed at the sky and away from the moon, to take the picture The Source This report includes information from the FOX 5 Storm Team, FOX Weather, and the Space Weather Prediction Center.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Arkansas Storm Team Blog: Solar Flare Incoming
A powerful solar flare hit on May 30 or 31, and it's sending a huge wave of energy our way. This might trigger a G4 geomagnetic storm around June 1 or 2, which could bring the Northern Lights as far south as Missouri or even portions of the northern Ozarks. If you want to increase your luck at catching a glimpse of this, head somewhere dark, far from city lights, and look north between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. The lights might show up as a faint green or red glow near the horizon, not as dazzling as what you'd see in Alaska or Canada. One thing to watch out for, though: wildfire smoke from Canada could make the skies hazy, which might mess with your view. This storm is a big deal, but it's not quite on the level of that wild one in May 2024, when the Northern Lights popped up everywhere, from Florida to Mexico. That event was a G5 level geomagnetic storm. Still, if the skies cooperate and the storm's strong enough, some areas in northern Arkansas might just get a shot at this incredible display. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
