Valentine’s Day aurora borealis: Geomagnetic storm to illuminate select US states
This Valentine’s Day, parts of the U.S. may witness the aurora borealis due to a G1 geomagnetic storm forecasted by NOAA.
This Valentine’s Day, stargazers in parts of the U.S. could be treated to a stunning display of the aurora borealis also known as the northern lights. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center has forecasted solar G1 geomagnetic storm conditions for Thursday evening, which could bring the auroras to Earth by Friday. While a G1 storm is considered minor on the planetary K-index, it still offers a chance for a mesmerizing celestial show.
US states where aurora borealis will be visible on Valentine’s Day
The sun is currently in its solar maximum, a phase of its 11-year cycle when solar activity and energy discharge reach their peak. This heightened activity has led to an increase in northern lights displays over the past few months.
During this period, coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — bursts of magnetised plasma from the sun’s corona — are more frequent. As these CMEs travel towards Earth within the solar wind, they interact with the planet's magnetic field, producing the vibrant green and pink hues that characterise the auroras.
According to NOAA's aurora viewline map, the northern lights will be visible in US states like Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Alaska in the upcoming days given there are favourable weather conditions. Depending on teh strength of the storm, the aurora borealis can stretch to northern Michigan and Maine, as reported by ABC News.
How to watch the Aurora Borealis
Since the sun is approximately 93 million kilometres away, it is difficult to guess the exact time and location of the northern lights since teh CMEs could take days to reach Earth, as per the space experts. However, a citizen platform called Aurorasaurus is known for sending alerts to its users if there is a possibility for an aurora to appear in their region. Moreover, it can also send alerts in real-time to inform if the lights can be currently seen.
According to NOAA, the best time to spot northern lights would be right before and after midnight. Space experts add that stepping away from light pollution and the direct light of a full moon can also improve the vision to spot natural events. To capture the aurora, people are advised to use their smartphone cameras or digital cameras as they are more sensitive to the array of colours displayed by the northern lights. They can capture the event in detail even when it is not visible to the naked eye, according to NASA.
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