The northern lights may be visible overnight from up to 20 northern U.S. states on Monday, June 8, through Tuesday, June 9, according to a forecast by space weather experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Here’s how to photograph the northern lights using a phone.
The forecast includes a G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm in the wake of a coronal mass ejection (CME) launched from the sun on Saturday, June 6. A CME is a cloud of magnetic fields and charged particles from the sun that streams into space at up to 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometers) per second, often after a solar flare. If a CME is Earth-directed, geomagnetic storms — and aurora displays — can result.
Northern Lights Forecast: Coronal Mass Ejection Arrives
A CME can take a few days to travel from the sun to the Earth, where the charged particles accelerate down the field lines of Earth’s magnetic field. They collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms high in the atmosphere and excite the gases, causing them to release energy as shimmering light. An oval of green and red appears around Earth’s poles — and down to mid-latitudes if it’s strong enough.
“G1-G2 (Minor-Moderate), with isolated periods of G3 (Strong), geomagnetic storming are likely to begin by mid UTC-day on 08 June with the arrival of the CME that left the Sun on 06 June,” said NOAA. “G1-G2 (Minor-Moderate) geomagnetic storming is likely to linger into the early portions of 09 June before giving way to unsettled to active conditions.”
Northern Lights Alert: Where And When
G2 storms can be seen as far south as New York and Idaho, while for G3 it’s Illinois and Oregon. Although there is no guarantee (there were false alarms last week when a trio of CMEs arrived later than expected, during daylight), a G3-class geomagnetic storm could see aurora visible on the northern horizon on Monday, June 8, through Tuesday, June 9, from around 20 U.S. states.
U.S. states with the best chance in a G2-geomagnetic storm include northern parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine. Also in with a shout are states farther south, including Oregon, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire.
If G3 storming commences, those under very dark skies in Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland may also see aurora.
Aurora Forecast: Latest Updates And Moon Phase
Space weather can change rapidly, with forecasts revised frequently. Check aurora webcams around the world to see if Europe is experiencing aurora, as well as NOAA’s 30-minute aurora forecast, SpaceWeatherLive.com and apps like Aurora Now, My Aurora Forecast, SpaceWeatherLive or Glendale Aurora, which provide live solar wind data.
Observers in northern U.S. states and much of Canada are on the cusp of a seasonal challenge — in the lead-up to the June solstice, nights become very short, with twilight persisting for much of the night. That limits darkness and makes aurora more difficult to see. However, a waning crescent moon rises just before dawn on Tuesday, leaving the night dark.
For the best views, use a light pollution map and a Dark Sky Place Finder (though finding a clear sky will also be essential). The clearer and darker the northern sky, the more likely it is that you’ll see any aurora.
Aurora Alert: The Kp Index And Bz
Aurora-chasers frequently use the Kp index to predict the intensity of a geomagnetic storm,/ The Kp index measures global geomagnetic disturbance and provides a rough indication of how far from the poles aurora may become visible. On Monday, periods of Kp 7 are likely, which makes aurora displays possible in 20 states. However, whether there are aurora displays depends on the interplanetary magnetic field, specifically its Bz component (you’ll find it in some of the above apps and on SpaceWeatherLive.com). Bz determines how easily solar energy enters Earth’s magnetosphere. When Bz points north, Earth’s field resists it; when Bz swings south, the two fields connect, allowing plasma to stream in. A sustained southward Bz of −5 nT or stronger usually signals an imminent display of aurora.
The Best Way To See The Northern Lights
Sightings of aurora have become more frequent in the last two years because the sun reached the solar maximum phase of its 11-year solar cycle. However, sightings from regions south of the Arctic Circle tend only to get glimpses of aurora as a faint glow on the northern horizon, so that’s where aurora hunters should look from North America.
For the best chance of seeing the northern lights, plan a trip from September to March to the Arctic Circle (65- to 70-degree north latitudes) in Alaska, northern Canada or northern Scandinavia (Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland), where more frequent and brighter displays are much more likely — and much more impressive, all-sky events that can leave observers dumbstruck.
Since it’s close to solstice, the Arctic Circle is currently experiencing “Midnight Sun,” so auroras are currently not observable.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.