Northern Lights Alert: 10 States May See Aurora Sunday Night

The northern lights may be seen in U.S. states Sunday, Mar. 29, through Monday, Mar. 30, after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a geomagnetic storm watch, warning that a G1 or G2-class geomagnetic storm is likely when a coronal mass ejection is expected to graze Earth’s magnetic field.

A CME is a cloud of charged particles that causes aurora when interacting with Earth’s magnetic field. This CME was launched into space from the sun in the wake of an M3.9-class solar flare on Mar. 29 from sunspot AR4403, which a NASA model shows may graze Earth’s magnetic field.

Unsettled to active conditions are expected to persist into March 31, according to NOAA.

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Solar Flare And A Coronal Mass Ejection

Solar flares are intense blasts of radiation that travel at light speed, while CMEs are vast clouds of charged particles that travel more slowly but are a major cause of geomagnetic storms on Earth.

According to Spaceweather.com, the CME will arrive at the same time as a high-speed stream of solar wind — the background source of charged particles that causes nightly aurora near Earth’s poles.

A bright 90%-lit waxing gibbous moon will be in the night sky all night, making faint aurora tougher to see.

tomorrow_nights_static_viewline_forecast — NOAA’s aurora viewline for Sunday, March. 29, through Monday, March 30, 20216.

NOAA

Northern Lights Alert: Where And When To Look

This will likely not be a major display, but those in northern U.S. states may see aurora on the northern horizon. NOAA’s aurora view line shows the northern lights potentially visible in up to 10 U.S. states near the Canada border. States in pole position include Alaska and (northerly parts of) Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine.

For the best views, locate a dark place using the Dark Sky Place Finder and a light pollution map. The darker the northern sky, the more vibrant the display — even during moderate geomagnetic storms. A clear northern sky will be required.

A Flurry Of Sunspots

In recent days, the sun has become peppered with dark areas — sunspots —magnetic disturbances on the sun’s surface. Appearing on the sun’s visible surface — called the photosphere — they’re cooler regions on the sun caused by a concentration of magnetic field lines, according to NASA.

There are presently around 10 sunspot groups on the Earth-facing side of the sun. Given that sunspots are the source of solar eruptions — solar flares and coronal mass ejections — the chances of solar activity and northern lights are higher in the coming week.

As the sun rotates, sunspots will turn to face Earth, putting the planet in what scientists describe as the “strike zone.” Space weather forecasters are keeping a close watch on additional flaring and potential Earth-directed eruptions.

Geomagnetic effects may include the possibility of auroras seen in the night sky much farther south than is typical.

Northern Lights Alert: Latest Updates

The exact timing of space weather is difficult to predict because it depends on the speed of the solar wind. Continually monitor NOAA’s 30-minute aurora forecast and SpaceWeatherLive.com, as well as apps such as Aurora Now, My Aurora Forecast, SpaceWeatherLive or Glendale Aurora, which provide live solar wind data.

Look for data on the interplanetary magnetic field’s Bz component, which determines how easily solar energy enters Earth’s magnetosphere. When Bz points north, Earth’s field resists it; when Bz swings south, the two fields connect, allowing plasma to stream in. A sustained southward Bz of -5 nT or stronger usually signals an imminent display of aurora.

Photographer at Cameron River Ramparts — Photographer Stephen Bedingfield is shooting the Northern Lights at the Ramparts waterfalls on the Cameron River, September 8, 2019. (Photo by: Alan Dyer/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

How To Photograph The Northern Lights

If your smartphone has a Night Mode or Pro Mode, you can capture a beautiful aurora photo with these steps:

Use your main lens, not the ultra-wide, for sharper results.
Stabilize the camera using a tripod or rest it on a firm surface such as a car roof, wall, or post.
Shoot in RAW format if available, as it makes post-editing easier.
Expect long exposures between five and ten seconds. Even faint glows that look grayish to the eye often appear vividly green, purple or red in photos.