(NewsNation) – People as far south as New York and Idaho could get the chance to see the northern lights this weekend as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts a geomagnetic storm.
The predicted storm follows a coronal mass ejection on August 1, which happens when the Sun’s plasma and magnetic fields are projected toward Earth. The electrically charged ions collide with Earth’s atmosphere, causing geomagnetic storms and creating the multicolored and dancing lights which are generally only seen further north.
While the storm is not expected to be as strong as the one that hit in early May, giving people in far southern North Carolina a rare glimpse of the northern lightsit could still send the aurora further south than normal.
Beyond the lights, geomagnetic storms They can also cause disturbances in electrical networks and GPS, as they interfere with satellites.
This year’s northern lights were active as the sun approaches the peak of an 11-year cycle, resulting in more CMEs. Although the Sun typically shows more activity during this point in the cycle, it has still been an exceptionally active year, with May’s geomagnetic storm the most significant in two decades.
Just like Earth’s weather, space weather is difficult to predict, so stargazers should check NOAA data aurora forecast for more details on where the lights should be visible.
For the best chance of spotting the dancing colors, head out close to midnight and as far away from light pollution as possible. If you are struggling, your cell phone camera can help; can capture more colors and light than you would be able to see with the naked eye.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
