Topline
The northern lights have another chance of appearing Wednesday night, according to forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as geomagnetic storms caused by solar winds impact Earth.
Forecasters are predicting a Kp index of four out of nine for Wednesday, meaning the aurora borealis could appear brighter with more auroral activity in the form of motions and formations.
NOAA also issued a moderate geomagnetic storm watch for Wednesday, saying coronal holes appearing on the Sun could release solar winds—which in turn create geomagnetic storm conditions when they interact with the Earth.
The watch was issued for a G2 out of five or “moderate” storm on NOAA’s scale, and forecasters warned that minor to moderate geomagnetic storm conditions could continue until at least evening hours EDT on Wednesday night.
Coronal holes are regions of the Sun that appear darker in images of the Sun taken by astronomers. They are cooler regions, with less dense matter that release high speed streams of solar winds. When those winds interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, they can cause problems for satellites and radio navigation—as well as cause the aurora borealis to appear more vibrant and visible further south.
States along the U.S.-Canadian border fall within the view line for Wednesday’s aurora, according to forecasters. These include northern Washington, the Idaho Panhandle, Montana, North Dakota and northern South Dakota. In the Midwest, the lights could be visible from northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as northern Maine on the East Coast. The lights could also appear above most of Alaska.
Experts at NOAA recommend viewers travel toward Earth’s magnetic north pole and away from sources of lights like cities. Viewers should position themselves on vantage points with a clear view north. Viewers should also try to time their trip to the hours the aurora is usually easiest to view—between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.