Image by Alison R. In Victoria, the aurora borealis will appear in September 2024
(Fox 9) – Two large solar flares in recent days set the stage for the appearance of the Northern Lights next week.
What we know
This week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center discovered two solar flares that ejected two coronal mass ejections pointed toward Earth. The second, discovered on Thursday, was classified as an X9.0 flare – the most powerful solar flare detected in about seven years.
Both events are expected to trigger geomagnetic storms in Earth’s atmosphere that fuel the aurora.
What do you expect
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting G3 (or strong) geomagnetic storms on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This means the Northern Lights could be seen as far south as central Iowa over the weekend.
This storm is the result of the first solar flare. It is unclear exactly how the second flare will affect Earth.
It will take a few days for the second coronal mass ejection to reach Earth. If all goes as expected, the second flare could create a stronger storm early next week — which in turn could mean more vibrant northern lights.
To help aurora seekers, skies are clear Thursday night, and we’ve just passed the new moon phase — meaning viewing conditions will be favorable.
Tips for watching the Northern Lights
NOAA recommends the following tips for your best chance of seeing the Northern Lights.
- Go north.
- Go to areas with less light pollution. You can use This map To find the best locations near you.
- Often, the best times to see the aurora are closer to midnight.
- Spring and fall are often the best times to see the aurora, because “the subtleties in the way the solar wind interacts with the Earth’s magnetosphere” can create larger geomagnetic storms.
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