Space weather: Solar flares cause stunning Northern Lights in US
Strong solar flares hurled plasma at Earth, causing amazing auroras. These storms are rare, but thanks to space weather tracking, impacts are minimal.
Reuters
If you missed seeing the Northern Lights in May, or even if you did see them, you’re probably hoping they make an appearance again soon.
While some sky-watchers have said they could appear in areas as far south as Oklahoma as soon as this week, the solar activity that causes the aurora borealis in unpredictable.
Here’s what you need to know about the likelihood the northern lights will be visible again in Oklahoma tonight.
Northern Lights forecast for June 6
It’s not looking favorable for the Northern Lights to appear the night of June 6, despite the sunspot that caused the May 10-11 auroras facing Earth once again on the night of a new moon.
For a similar event to take place, the sunspot will need to produce a series of solar flares while it is once again Earth-facing. After the solar flares, there would need to be several coronal mass ejections, or eruptions of charged particles from the sun’s surface.
While solar flares have been detected from the sunspot, no coronal mass ejections have been observed.
Forbes senior contributor Jamie Carter, who writes about the night sky and eclipses, said in May that “June 6 is the night to watch, plus or minus three or four nights.” However, solar activity is unpredictable, Carter said, especially as the sun approaches its “solar maximum” peak in magnetic activity.
Will the Northern Lights be visible in Oklahoma?
In order for Oklahomans to get another glimpse of the aurora borealis from their backyard, a high-level geomagnetic storm would need to occur.
In May, the storm that brought such a widespread light show to the United States was labeled a “G5” storm.
What causes the Northern Lights?
When the coronal mass ejections reach Earth, they react with the magnetic field and create a display known as the Northern Lights.
How to see the Northern Lights
The best chances of seeing auroras are late at night, between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, away from city lights.
This far south, the lights are best seen with a camera, even the one your smartphone comes equipped with.
Daisy Hips is a science communicator who brings the wonders of the natural world to readers. Her articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to environmental conservation. Daisy is also an advocate for science education and enjoys stargazing in her spare time.
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