The northern lights will extend into the United States as a result of the sun’s massive solar outburst earlier this week.
Because the sun is at its solar maximum, there will be plenty of chances to witness the aurora borealis during the course of the following year.
Due to a solar flare that was released from the sun earlier in the week, one of those opportunities is occurring on the evenings of November 8–9.
For some Americans, it should still be a good spectacle, even though it won’t light up the skies like some of the auroras seen earlier this year.As of right now, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that the northernmost US states will be able to see the aurora borealis.
These include Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and both Dakotas. New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine residents may also be fortunate. According to NOAA, the geomagnetic storm responsible for this northern lights phenomenon is at the lower end of the spectrum, with a magnitude of about a G1 or G2.
On November 7, NOAA identified a coronal mass ejection, which is responsible for this aurora borealis. It was launched by a solar flare that was measured as an M3-class flare, which is considered to be weaker.
Nevertheless, enough of it will strike Earth to cause the northern lights to go somewhat souther than they usually do.
The northern lights may move a bit farther south than anticipated because the storm is scheduled to continue several days.
Therefore, it won’t harm to check, even if you’re a little outside of NOAA’s predicted region. A meteor from a meteor shower might even be visible to you.
One day prior to the M3-class flare, on November 6, a far larger and more potent X2.3-class flare was detected.
The aurora borealis did not become more active as a result of the flare, although it did cause some radio frequency problems.
The aurora borealis would have moved far further south if the flare had struck the Earth correctly. An X1.8-class flare was responsible for the recent appearance of the northern lights, which illuminated half of the United States.
Coronal mass ejections from the sun interact with Earth’s geomagnetic field to produce the aurora borealis. The sky is wonderfully illuminated by the interaction of the Earth’s magnetic field with the solar material and radiation.
The intensity of the aurora borealis increases with the strength and intensity of the coronal mass ejection. Even if it’s on the lower end of the spectrum and extends into the northern United States, it’s still more than one would normally observe.
The aurora borealis: how can I view it?
Look up into the northern sky and avoid light pollution as much as you can if you’re in the area where the northern lights will be visible.
Seeing the aurora borealis is made much more difficult by light pollution, particularly in the southernmost regions where the aurora will be weakest. The sky should be as dark as possible.
How to take pictures
It’s a little more challenging to take pictures of the aurora, particularly with a smartphone.
To achieve the best photos, aim the phone at the sky and switch to night mode to extend the exposure duration as long as possible. You get better results the further north you go.
