The Northern Lights, illuminating the night sky in pinks, greens and grays, appeared across the northern half of Britain and the United States on Friday. Something magical may happen again tonight.
The show attracted many spectators who took out their mobile phones to capture the beauty of the night sky. On Friday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a G5 extreme weather warning for the United States. A storm of this strength hasn’t been seen since October 2003, according to Earth.com. The storm, dubbed the “Halloween Storm,” caused numerous power outages in Sweden and damaged transformers in South Africa.
Meteorologists predict that the aurora borealis could be visible on Saturday as well as Sunday. If you’re heading out to see the Northern Lights, forecasters want to remind the public that you can see them with eclipse glasses.
Here’s what you need to know to prepare for your next Northern Lights viewing experience.
Aurora:Last night I danced all over America. It might happen again on Saturday.
Where can I see the Northern Lights tonight?
The Space Weather Prediction Center has provided experimental forecast maps showing that the aurora could be seen over a large area of the United States, possibly in states such as Oregon, Nebraska, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New York. Masu. Other states, including California, Oregon, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, may also see the skies light up again with encore performances. However, visibility is determined by changing factors such as weather, pollution, and cloud cover.
What’s the cloud forecast for Saturday night? Will clouds block the aurora?
Even if you miss the Northern Lights on Friday night, you might be able to catch a glimpse of them on Saturday or Sunday, depending on your area. However, this is not the case when clouds get in the way.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines said Saturday night’s cloudy forecast is generally good for much of the U.S., but some people who missed out last night due to clouds may have similar problems Saturday. He said there may be some people who do. Areas with a high chance of cloudy weather include parts of New England and the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as the Southern Plains region, including Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado.
“If there’s even a slight break in the clouds, you’ll be able to see the aurora borealis,” Cains said. “There’s always hope.”
Peak visibility Saturday night will be between 9 p.m. and midnight, with potential as late as 2 a.m., Cains said. He said the best views will be in dark areas away from urban light pollution, but there were also reports of the aurora being visible from metropolitan areas like Milwaukee and Detroit on Friday night.
People in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will rejoice if they see the Northern Lights Sunday night. Because Mr. Caines said the sky should be clearer.
Chances of seeing the Northern Lights tonight in New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio
new york
Rain and clouds are expected to dampen hopes of seeing the Northern Lights around Rochester, New York. Elsewhere in New York, the light may be seen again in the Lower Hudson Valley, weather permitting.
michigan
NWS maps predicting the strength and location of the aurora on Saturday and Sunday show it will be visible from central to northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.
Saturday and Sunday will be mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and scattered thunderstorms. The NWS predicted sky coverage in metro Detroit would be between 48% and 58% from 8 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday. Clouds are expected to decrease in the western parts of both peninsulas.
wisconsin
Tim Halbach, a local meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the Milwaukee area is expected to be mostly clear in the evening with scattered clouds overnight.
Ohio
People living in the Cincinnati area may be able to enjoy the Northern Lights Saturday night, as the NWS Wilmington, Ohio, office is forecasting dry and partly cloudy weather. Despite some cloud cover Friday, many Ohioans reported seeing light, so the clouds shouldn’t be a problem.
Aurora prediction route
If you want to know more about whether you’ll see the Northern Lights in your state, check out NOAA’s Aurora Forecasting Tool, which has a 30-minute prediction window.
The aurora is a natural light phenomenon that appears in the Earth’s skies and is famous for being most commonly seen in high latitude regions.
The scientist was surprised by the aurora and walked away.
The aurora seen on May 10 surprised Harvard astrophysicist Antonella Fruscione. She sent photos of the light and the April solar eclipse to a friend in Italy. In Italy the Northern Lights were not as noticeable as in other places.
“And I sent them a photo I took during the eclipse and said, ‘Can you imagine how lucky I am this year? We’re a month apart, but we get to see these two amazing cosmic sights. ‘I remember telling them.’
She says what she sees Friday, and possibly Saturday night, is not normal.
“This is a very rare event, especially since it was clearly visible last night,” Fruscione said.
That’s because Earth’s magnetic activity was at the highest point on the index, 9, and the Sun was at its peak of activity, causing an eruption. She added that color is also unpredictable because it depends on how the sun’s energetic particles interact with oxygen and nitrogen atoms. Oxygen appears green, but nitrogen appears purple, blue, or pink.
“It depends on which atoms in the atmosphere this particle interacts with,” Fruscione says.
She declined to predict how strong Saturday’s aurora will be because it’s outside of her expertise, but people can be sure that it’s not just the aurora, but the impact of communications, space stations, astronauts and other objects in space. He said he is constantly making predictions about space weather in order to achieve this goal. It won’t be too confusing.
However, on Earth, its activities are harmless to humans.
“The particles don’t reach us, so they’re completely harmless,” Fruscione said. “The reason we see color is because particles interact with atoms and they create beautiful colors. That’s it.”
Fruscione encouraged people to download an aurora prediction app on their phones so they can see colorful skies on days when there is a lot of talk about the aurora, such as Saturday.
What is the Northern Lights?
According to Space.com, auroras occur when energetic particles from the sun reach Earth’s upper atmosphere at a speed of 45 million miles per hour. Earth’s magnetic field redirects particles toward the poles through a process that creates the astonishing displays of rays, spirals, and flickers that have fascinated humanity for thousands of years.
Contributor: Eric Lagatta and Dinah Boyles Pulver, USA TODAY; Tanya Wilde, Detroit Free Press; Alex Gross, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Contributor: Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer; Contributed by Steve Howe, Rochester Democrat, Chronicle.Rockland/Westchester Journal News
Ahjane Forbes is a reporter on USA TODAY’s National Trends team. Ajane covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy topics.Please email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Instagram, Threads, and X (Twitter)
