Northern lights lovers should be alert tonight, as the aurora borealis could be visible across a fair number of states in the lower 48 this evening.
According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, two coronal mass ejections (CME) erupted from the Sun on November 7th and November 9th. The first CME caused Minor Geomagnetic Storms on November 10th, while the second CME is anticipated to result in Moderate Geomagnetic Storms between November 11th and November 12th.
Effects from these geomagnetic storms are expected to be minor, potentially having some manageable impacts on some technological infrastructure. The impact on the aurora borealis, however, could be a bit more dramatic.
NOAA’s Aurora Viewline Forecast shows that the northern lights could be visible from around 21 states. The states that might be able to spot the borealis include Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
While it’s certainly an exciting forecast, it’s important to keep in mind that it doesn’t guarantee the Northern Lights will be visible from these states, nor does it ensure that the Northern Lights won’t be visible from states further south.
