Tonight, Massachusetts and much of the country may be able to see the northern lights.

The Space Weather Prediction Centre of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned Wednesday that a geomagnetic storm might make landfall on Earth on Thursday.

The geomagnetic storm, which occurs when solar material and magnetic fields erupt and reach Earth, is expected to produce colourful auroras over a large portion of the northern half of the country, including Massachusetts, according to officials.

According to NOAA, “watches at this level are very rare,”

What you need know about the forecast is as follows.

When will Massachusetts be able to see the northern lights?
The ideal time to observe the aurora will be determined as the storm approaches Earth, but officials say they anticipate it arriving between Thursday morning and mid-afternoon.

One million miles from Earth, a spacecraft operated by NOAA can identify when a solar storm is about to pass over the planet. The auroras should be visible over Earth about 15 to 30 minutes after the satellite detects them.

When officials receive more details regarding time, NOAA said it will post an alert on its website.

Where might we expect to see the northern lights?

NOAA predicts that on Thursday, the northern lights will be visible throughout much of the northern half of the country, including Massachusetts.

“The aurora may become visible over much of the northern half of the country, and maybe as far south as Alabama to northern California,” according to NOAA.

How to view the northern lights

According to NOAA, the greatest time to observe an aurora is when it’s dark outside, which is typically an hour or two before midnight. Officials advise staying in lower latitudes and avoiding city lights.

“There may be aurora in the evening and morning but it is usually not as active and therefore, not as visually appealing,” stated NOAA.

To track the latest northern lights forecast, check out these websites:

• The Space Weather Prediction Center
• Space.com
• Aurora forecast page (NOAA)
• Aurora Reach
• Aurora Alerts

Are the northern lights harmful?

According to NOAA, the solar storms that produce the northern lights can have an impact on technology by creating additional ground currents that can impair power grid functionality.

According to NOAA, radio navigation systems’ signals can also be altered by geomagnetic storms.

This article first surfaced on Gazette & Telegram: Tonight, a’very uncommon’ storm caused the northern lights to appear in Massachusetts.