When and Where to See the Northern Lights in the US Tonight
I’ve always wanted to see the Northern Lights, but every time they showed up at my latitude (Pennsylvania) it was too cloudy or too late, or I just somehow missed them. But last night I finally saw them and the geomagnetic forecast says they will return tonight, October 11th. This is where and when you and I can see another glimpse.
A “geomagnetic storm” is brewing
The northern lights show is correctly called the aurora (the northern lights are the northern lights, and the southern lights are on the other side of the world). Auroras occur when charged particles from the Sun, called solar wind, hit Earth’s magnetosphere. This collision can ionize parts of the atmosphere, causing them to glow. A few days ago, as reported by Space.com , sunspot AR 3848 caused a coronal mass ejection – a solar flare – that has now traveled far enough into space that its effects can now be seen on Earth.
These geomagnetic storms, as they are called, can be predicted in the same way we get weather forecasts. Right now, the Space Weather Prediction Center , part of the National Weather Service, is reporting that we are in the midst of a G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm with a G5 probability. This means that auroral activity is likely to cover a wide swath of the northern hemisphere. What’s more, the forecast map shows that auroras could be visible much further south than usual.
How and where to see the northern lights
If you live in Alaska or Canada, you probably see auroras all the time. But today’s aurora will likely be visible in Washington state, Colorado, the Dakotas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York and much of New England. But depending on the strength of the geomagnetic storm, it could be seen as far south as it was last night—reaching at least as far as Pittsburgh , where I live, and even North Carolina, according to Axios .
You can view the current SWPC forecast maps here . For the best chance of seeing the aurora, find a dark spot (outside the city if possible) facing north. Auroras are usually visible at sunset and for several hours after it.
If you’re not sure whether you can see the aurora, take a photo with your phone. Modern cell phone cameras are more sensitive than our eyes to the light emitted by geomagnetic storms, so what appears to be a faint green or pink tint to the naked eye may appear much more vibrant and colorful in your photo .