Northern Lights May Be Visible Across Parts of the U.S. Tonight

A strong geomagnetic storm is heading toward Earth, potentially giving skywatchers across parts of the northern United States a chance to witness the aurora borealis on Thursday night.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a warning for a strong geomagnetic storm expected to affect Earth on Thursday and Friday. If forecasts hold, the northern lights could become visible much farther south than usual, potentially illuminating skies near major cities such as Seattle, Chicago, and Boston, according to FOX Weather.

The heightened auroral activity follows a series of powerful solar flares released by the Sun in recent days. According to Space.com, the activity originated from sunspot region 4455, which was directly facing Earth. The region produced an M9.3 flare, an M7.9 flare, and an X1 flare within a span of less than 24 hours.

Scientists believe the eruptions may have launched multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — massive clouds of solar plasma and magnetic fields — toward Earth. When these charged particles interact with Earth’s magnetic field, they can trigger geomagnetic storms and generate displays of the aurora borealis.

However, researchers have not yet determined the exact arrival time or intensity of the solar storms. As a result, the strength of the geomagnetic activity and the visibility of the northern lights on Thursday night remain uncertain.

Source : https://en.tempo.co/read/2106789/aurora-alert-northern-lights-may-light-up-northern-u-s-tonight