The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) said people might wish to attempt viewing the northern lights this weekend.
SWPC issued a geomagnetic storm warning for the night of October 30. On October 28, a coronal mass ejection (CME) might cause increased auroral activity on October 30 and into the morning of Halloween. The alert is a G3, the SWPC system's "strong" watch level.
A G3 geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for October 30. Visit https://t.co/DeCEKjoqF6 for the latest information. pic.twitter.com/XMG4EZEbcu
— NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) October 29, 2021
The watches are used to track the amount of solar activity that reaches the Earth's atmosphere. This activity may result in auroral displays, among other things. CNN said geomagnetic storms are graded on a scale of G1 (minor storm) to G5 (extreme storm).
It's crucial to stress, however, that such projections are not promises. The circumstances might vary, and there are instances when you don't see the aurora due to other factors. The existence of the northern lights is impossible to forecast with accuracy.
Nonetheless, the SWPC listed the aurora being seen "as low as Pennsylvania to Iowa to Oregon" as one of the probable outcomes of the CME. Spaceweather.com said such storms may generate naked-eye auroras as far south as Illinois and Oregon (usually 50° geomagnetic latitude), and photographic auroras at much lower latitudes.
For the aurora borealis, that's a long way south. Even if the prediction remains the same, the farther north you go, the better your chances of viewing the show.
The video embedded below this page depicts the aurora borealis above the United States during a G1 watch. On the night of September 26, 2020, the stargazer took the video in Graceville, Minnesota. Most stargazers would not get the spectacular ribbons of blinding light that some see in Iceland or Sweden.
How To See the Northern Lights
For the aurora to occur, several factors must come together. Nothing can ensure that the lights will appear on any particular night, but these predictions indicate that the stars aligned in their favor. The G3-the storm's strongest part is expected to arrive between 5 and 8 p.m. ET on October 30, according to the SWPC's prediction at the time of writing. That might imply that it's too bright out to take advantage of the storm's fiercest section, depending on where you are.
Despite this, the vigil continues all night and into the early hours of Halloween morning. From 8 p.m. to 11 a.m. ET, a G2 watch is in place, followed by a less intense G1 watch from 2 a.m. ET until the early morning hours of Halloween. That is, once again, just a prediction at the time of publishing. (On the night of October 28, the breakdown was even different than on the morning of October 29.) Things might and probably will change. Aurorasaurus, the SWPC's 30-minute prediction, and Twitter resources like Space Weather Watch are ideal sites to keep a watch on for real-time updates.
To obtain the finest view, you must avoid light pollution, which is more challenging than many people assume. Stargazers need a clear sky to see the sight. Seeing the aurora in a city, much alone a large metropolitan center, is improbable, even though it is within the aurora's potential range, according to the SWPC. The more away from city lights, you are, the better your odds are. This Light Pollution Map and Dark Site Finder will help stargazers find a dark sky region near them.
