The Northern Lights will soon be visible to those lucky enough to see them. The natural phenomena is caused by solar storms, which are not typical in modern day-to-day life. However the aurora borealis are anticipated to be moving more and more towards the south and are expected to be visible in more than 15 states.
The University of Alaska’s Geophysical Institute stated that the lights would be visible from Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Indiana, Maine and Maryland.
If you’re lucky enough to be located in those states, here’s some main tips on how to make the most of the rare experience.
The Associated Press reported that the best way to experience the lights is to get away from the light pollution produced by city lights from the hours of 10 pm to 2 am. The aurora borealis is typically only visible in the more northern areas of earth including Canada and Scandinavia but an 11 year solar cycle which is coming to a peak is to thank for the more southern visibility. Northern Lights occur when a magnetic solar wind slams into the Earth’s magnetic field and causes atoms in the upper atmosphere to glow.
According to the Geophysical Institute the storm will be a mid ranking storm which equals a moderately active and bright experience. The Northern lights are expected to be visible on Thursday.
Sources
https://apnews.com/article/auroras-northern-lights-solar-storm-58f8d99d746bed1c656170a4a38d6362
