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By Maria Azzurra Volpe
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The northern lights might be visible in parts of the U.S tonight, after the sun hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME)—an eruption of plasma and magnetic field—straight at Earth on August 30.
The impact could spark a G3-class geomagnetic storm, capable of producing auroral displays so intense they may be visible at lower-than-usual latitudes, including parts of the northern United States.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center, there is a geoplanetary disturbance rating of six out of a possible nine today.
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Accordingly, stargazers could be in for quite a spectacle. A map provided by NOAA shows tonight's view-line, which represents the southern-most locations from which you may see the aurora on the northern horizon.
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Tonight's light show could be visible from Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The bright green color on the map shows all the places where the aurora will be visible as a result of the geomagnetic storm. The red spots show the places where the aurora is forecast to be more intense.
The northern lights are not visible in daylight. The best times to observe them is just after sunset or right before sunrise. Atmospheric conditions permitting, they can be observed from as far as 621 miles away.
NASA explains that auroras are the result of charged particles and magnetism from the Sun dancing with the Earth's magnetic field far above the clouds—and you need to be at the right place, at the right time to see them.
Clear skies and good weather are necessary for the northern lights to be visible. It is also advisable to find a dark place, free of light pollution and with a good view towards the northern horizon . The best months to see aurora, statistically, are March and September.
If you're unsure whether you've actually spotted the northern lights, a smartphone can help confirm that you really saw a little bit of kind of dim aurora, because cameras are more sensitive than our eyes.
Bright auroras can be visible even from large cities, though light pollution may limit the view. These displays can last all night, but sometimes they're brief and fluctuate in brightness. During major events, auroras might appear as early as sunset and linger until sunrise, with peak activity typically occurring around midnight.
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