Topline
The northern lights could be visible for American viewers in several northern states, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said, as geomagnetic storms caused by solar winds and a coronal mass ejection could create minor to moderate geomagnetic storms after arriving.
States along the U.S.-Canadian border have a chance to see the northern lights on Wednesday.
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Key Facts
Forecasters at NOAA are predicting a Kp index of five out of nine for Tuesday night, meaning the lights could be visible further south, with brighter intensity and more “motion and formations.”
Solar winds and the arrival of a coronal mass ejection impact the Earth could cause minor to moderate geomagnetic storms on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, forecasters said.
What Is Causing The Lights Later This Week?
Two factors could cause geomagnetic storms this week, forecasters said. High speed solar winds escaping from less dense, cooler regions of the Sun will likely impact the Earth starting Wednesday, according to NOAA’s most recent space weather forecast. Wednesday could also see the arrival of a coronal mass ejection, or a burst of plasma and magnetic field that erupts from the Sun’s corona, the outermost layer of its atmosphere. When this material interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field, it can cause geomagnetic storms—and NOAA’s most recent update estimates there is a 75% chance for minor to moderate storms beginning Wednesday. These storms will likely only reach a G2 out of five on NOAA’s scale for storm intensity, but they still can cause the aurora to shine brighter and be visible much further south into the lower 48 states. NOAA forecasters are also predicting a small, 25% chance the space weather causes G3 level storms for “isolated periods,” which could cause the lights to appear as far south as Illinois or Oregon.