Aurora alert: Northern lights could dance in Wednesday night sky
A geomagnetic storm watch is in effect for Jan 1. Here's a look at the aurora forecast.
From a rare comet to a stunning combo of the northern lights and a meteor shower to a total solar eclipse, AccuWeather’s Melissa Constanzer and Anna Azallion break down the best astronomy videos of the year.
The aurora borealis made an appearance over the northern part of the United States, just in time for New Year's Eve. The holiday showing is linked to a flurry of solar activity that erupted over the weekend which hurled a cloud of charged particles toward the Earth. When the cloud of particles, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), collides with the planet's atmosphere, it produces stunning displays of green, pink and red colors.
A G3 (Strong) geomagnetic storm watch was in effect for Dec. 31. Another geomagnetic storm could make the lights visible again after sundown on New Year’s Day with a G1 (Minor) watch issued for Jan. 1, according to NOAA. The G1 watch for New Year's Day may be upgraded to a G2 watch.
Where might the aurora be visible?
People across the very northern portion of the United States had the best chance of seeing the aurora on New Year's eve but there is a smaller chance some could catch a glimpse on Wednesday night, weather permitting. This includes parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
The exact timing of the aurora is still uncertain, so onlookers may need to head outside and look to the northern sky several times throughout the night. Aurora hopefuls can also keep an eye on NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. The moon is nearly in its new moon phase, which means it shouldn’t prevent onlookers from seeing the colors.
Not only will people need a clear view of the northern sky, but they will need to be in a dark area away from light pollution. City lights can easily outshine the aurora, so experts recommend traveling to areas far away from cities or highways.
The sky turned pink and green over State College, Pennsylvania, early on Aug. 12, 2024.
What will the northern lights look like?
For many people, the aurora borealis will look like a red or green glow above the northern horizon. The farther north you are located, the higher in the sky the lights may appear.
How to photograph the aurora
In areas farther south than the states mentioned above, the aurora might not be bright enough to see with the human eye, but it might still be captured with the help of long-exposure photography.
Most smartphones can take colorful pictures of the aurora, even if it's too dim to see with the naked eye. Experts recommend using a tripod to keep the phone's camera steady when taking a long-exposure photograph.
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