Topline
The northern lights could be visible from several states on Tuesday night, as an ejection of plasma from the Sun associated with a powerful solar flare observed on Sunday night approaches the Earth.
A strong solar flare and coronal mass ejection could cause geomagnetic storms on Tuesday.
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Key Facts
Forecasters at NOAA predicted a Kp index of five out of nine for Tuesday, indicating the aurora could appear brighter and more visible further south from Earth’s magnetic north pole.
Forecasters are also predicting moderate levels of geomagnetic storms on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, with the chance of isolated strong storms as a coronal mass ejection from an X-class solar flare observed on Sunday interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field.
What Is Impacting The Aurora?
Astronomers observed a strong X-class solar flare erupt from the Sun on Sunday night. This immediately caused high frequency radio blackouts on Earth’s sunlit side at the time, primarily impacting Southeast Asia and northern Australia, according to NOAA. The solar flare also came with a coronal mass ejection—a large eruption of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun that can travel towards earth and interact with the planet’s magnetic field, causing geomagnetic storms. Even at mild levels, these storms can cause the northern lights to appear brighter, more active and visible further south from Earth’s poles. NOAA issued a strong geomagnetic storm watch for Tuesday night, meaning storms could reach a G3 on the agency’s scale out of five.
Where Could The Aurora Be Visible Tuesday?
NOAA’s view line for Tuesday extends further south due to the higher Kp index, meaning the lights could be spotted from most of Washington, the Idaho Panhandle, most of Montana, northeastern Wyoming, North Dakota and most of South Dakota. They could also be visible from most of the upper Midwest, including Minnesota, northern Iowa, most of Wisconsin and northern Michigan. On the East Coast, the lights could be visible from the northern reaches of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Most of Alaska could see the lights on Tuesday night as well.
NOAA’s view line for Tuesday.
NOAA
What’s The Best Way To View The Northern Lights?
Prospective viewers should travel as far north as possible, towards Earth’s magnetic north pole located in northern Canada. The lights can appear visible up to 600 miles south of where they appear, according to experts at NOAA. Viewers should find a vantage point, such as a hill, with a clear view of the night sky and away from other light sources. Viewers should also time their trips to the hours the aurora is typically most active—between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
What’s The Best Way To Photograph The Northern Lights?
Experts who spoke to National Geographic said smartphone cameras are now capable of taking quality photos of the northern lights. Users should remember to use their smartphone camera’s night mode, turn off flash and shoot in RAW image format. They should also make use of a tripod to stabilize their devices.