Get ready for an extraordinary celestial display A solar storm on Thursday means the Northern Lights might be visible in 17 states. Are you ready

A solar storm forecast for Thursday is expected to give skygazers in 17 American states a chance to glimpse the Northern Lights, the colorful sky show that happens when solar wind hits the atmosphere.

Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, are most often seen in Alaska, Canada and Scandinavia, but an 11-year solar cycle that’s expected to peak in 2024 is making the lights visible in places farther to the south. Three months ago, the light displays were visible in Arizona, marking the third severe geomagnetic storm since the current solar cycle began in 2019.

The Geophysical Insтιтute at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks has forecast auroral activity on Thursday in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Indiana, Maine and Maryland.

Auroral activity also has been forecast for Canada, including Vancouver.

Light displays are expected to be visible overhead in Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Helena, Montana, and low on the horizon in Salem, Oregon.; Boise, Idaho; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Annapolis, Maryland; and Indianapolis, according to the insтιтute.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center said people wanting to experience an aurora should get away from city lights and that the best viewing times are between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time.

Northern Lights occur when a magnetic solar wind slams into the Earth’s magnetic field and causes atoms in the upper atmosphere to glow. The lights appear suddenly and the intensity varies.

A geomagnetic index known as Kp ranks auroral activity on a scale from zero to nine, with zero being not very active and nine being bright and active. The Geophysical Insтιтute has forecast Kp 6 for Thursday’s storm.

Source: AP News

Related Posts

Diving into the mysteries of the cosmos Astronomers challenge existing theories with a mindboggling discovery of an unexpected exoplanet.

The discovery of a gaint exoplanet that is far too mᴀssive for its sun is calling into question what was previously understood about the formation of planets…

Mindblowing discovery alert Astronomers have just found a planetforming disk beyond our Milky Way galaxy unlocking new cosmic secrets.

Astronomers have achieved a significant milestone in space exploration by identifying, for the first time, a planet-forming disk around a young star in a galaxy outside our…

Unlocking the mysteries of dark matter through cuttingedge research at the worlds largest particle accelerator. The pursuit of knowledge knows no bounds.

The existence of Dark Matter is a long-standing puzzle in our universe. Dark Matter makes up about a quarter of our universe, yet it does not interact…

Breaking news from the cosmos Astronomers have found an alien star system with six exoplanets orbiting in a rare and harmonious resonance chain. The universe never fails to amaze us

In an extraordinary discovery, astronomers have identified a planetary system, not far from our Solar System, where six exoplanets orbit their star in a rare and harmonious…

Discovering a mesmerizing star system with six planets dancing in harmony to an otherworldly rhythm. Natures symphony continues to astound us.

Scientists have discovered a rare sight in a nearby star system: Six planets orbiting their central star in a rhythmic beat. The planets move in an orbital…

Exciting news as the United States makes plans to return to the moon after over 50 years. A historic moment ahead

More than 50 years after the last Apollo mission, the United States will try once again to land a craft on the moon on January 25, said…