Northern lights could be visible in New England this weekend. Here’s where
Vibrant colors could paint the night skies in multiple states this weekend, including in New England.
The best places to see the northern lights are after sunset are in Canada, Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The light activity Saturday through Monday is expected to be minor with a Kp index of around three. The latter is a reference to a metric that measures disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field.
The Northern Lights , also known as the Aurora Borealis, are the waving lights made of hues of green and purple as a result of the sun, NOAA has previously said.
When a burst of coronal mass ejections from the sun reaches Earth's atmosphere, the electrons colliding fall back down to lower states of energy. This causes the bands of light to be seen in the sky.
Saturday's aurora forecast. Courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Sunday's forecast also shows a low likelihood.
Sunday's aurora forecast. Courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"The brightness and location of the aurora is typically shown as a green oval centered on Earth's magnetic pole," according to NOAA's website. "The green ovals turn red when the aurora is forecasted to be more intense. Aurora can often be observed somewhere on Earth from just after sunset or just before sunrise. The aurora is not visible during daylight hours. The aurora does not need to be directly overhead but can be observed from as much as 1,000 km away when the aurora is bright and if conditions are right."
The Space Weather Prediction Center notes that the best times to view the northern lights are within an hour or two of midnight. Getting away from city lights and other sources of light will enhance the viewing experience as well.
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