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Are the northern lights returning to the U.S. this weekend? Another solar storm is on its way and could hit the Earth on Friday.
Here’s what to know about the latest event.
When is the solar storm coming? Geomagnetic storm watch issued for June 28 and 29
According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, a coronal mass ejection erupted from the sun on June 25 and has a chance to clip the Earth on June 28. The center has issued a watch for a minor geomagnetic storm, level 1 out of 5, for June 28 and 29.
If the storm hits, it could make the aurora borealis dimly visible along the horizon for far north upper Midwest states, according to the SWPC.
Where will the northern lights be visible?
According to the SWPC, a minor geomagnetic storm such as the one forecast this weekend typically makes the aurora visible at high latitudes, like northern Michigan and Maine.
By comparison, the May 10 geomagnetic storm that made the aurora visible across a wide stretch of the U.S. was rated a G5, the most extreme, and brought the northern lights to all 50 states, USA TODAY reports.
NOAA offers aurora dashboard
If you’re curious about the latest forecast for the aurora, the NOAA has a tool for that. The Aurora Dashboard offers a visual, animated prediction of where the aurora might be seen in the next few minutes as well as the following day.
What is the aurora borealis? How do the northern lights work?
Auroras are ribbons of light weaving across Earth’s northern or southern polar regions, according to NASA. Magnetic storms that have been triggered by solar activity, such as solar flares or coronal mass ejections, cause them. The solar wind carries energetic charged particles from these events away from the sun.
These energized particles hit the atmosphere at 45 million mph and are redirected to the poles by the earth’s magnetic field, according to Space.com, creating the light show.
During major geomagnetic storms, the auroras expand away from the poles and can be seen over some parts of the United States, according to the NOAA.
What is a coronal mass ejection?
NASA describes coronal mass ejections as “huge bubbles of coronal plasma threaded by intense magnetic field lines that are ejected from the sun over the course of several hours.” The Akron Beacon Journal reports that the space agency says they often look like “huge, twisted rope” and can occur with solar flares, or explosions on the sun’s surface.
