A New Year’s Eve storm could make the Northern Lights visible in the US as Americans ring in 2025.
Last but not least before the New Year, the amazing colors of the aurora borealis can be seen by those who live on the northern border of America.
Solar storms, which are the result of two explosions of destructive plasma on Earth, may bring the Northern Lights earlier this week, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
“The events occurred over the weekend of December 28-29 as the active regions and groups (of the sun) became unstable,” NOAA’S Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) reported.
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Also, tonight might be a good chance to catch the colors dancing in the night sky.
The tracker on NOAA’s website noted that it “shows a ‘line of sight’ representing the southernmost points where you can see the aurora on the northern horizon.
Alaska, Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine have a chance to take in the spectacular light display.
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While parts of Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and New York can get a glimpse of the lights.
“Aurora are usually seen somewhere on Earth from sunset or just before sunrise,” NOAA reports.
“The aurora doesn’t need to be directly overhead but can be seen up to 1,000 kilometers away when the aurora is bright and the conditions are right.”
FOX Weather reported that one of the coronal mass ejections (CME) hit the Earth’s atmosphere on Tuesday afternoon, leading to a Geomagnetic Storm Watch on New Year’s Day.
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The SWPC expects the geomagnetic storm to continue until Tuesday evening, as people ring in the New Year across the country.
When it comes to seeing the Northern Lights, there are several factors to be aware of to maximize your viewing – location, time, geomagnetic activity and darkness.
Location
The most important thing when it comes to your location, is to find a location with little or no obstacles.
“Check for a spot with thin lines of trees or hills so that the northern horizon is fully visible,” Fox News previously reported.
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Time
The best time to see the lights is late at night or early in the morning, which is true this New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
“The best aurora is usually within an hour or two of midnight (between 10pm and 2am local time),” according to the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).
“There may be an aurora in the evening and in the morning, but it is usually inactive and therefore, not as a visual attraction.”
Geomagnetic activity
If the geomagnetic field is active, the aurora will be brighter, stronger and further away from the magnetic poles, according to the SWPC.
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The best time to see the Northern Lights is when the planet’s K index is at eight or nine, and the aurora is moving equatorward, the weather site says.
“Strong, Level 3 of 5, geomagnetic storms are possible Tuesday, and smaller Level 1 storms are forecast for New Year’s Day. However, space forecasters are considering upgrading the watch to Level 2,” FOX Weather reported.
The darkness
For the best view of the aurora borealis, find the darkest spot possible.
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“A full moon will also reduce the apparent brightness of the aurora (not the actual brightness),” SWPC continued.
You’ll also want to make sure it’s a clear night, with no clouds in the sky.
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