Northern lights set the sky aglow amid powerful geomagnetic storm (2024)

FAQs

Is the northern lights a geomagnetic storm? ›

During geomagnetic storms the ions collide with gases in Earth's atmosphere and release energy in the form of light, we recognize this as the northern lights or aurora borealis in the Northern Hemisphere or the southern lights, or aurora australis in the Southern Hemisphere.

Thanks to a powerful geometric storm, the aurora borealis could be seen from Canada to Southern California on May 10 and 11, 2024. The Northern lights or aurora borealis illuminate the night sky at the beach in Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada, during a geomagnetic storm on May 12, 2024.

According to NOAA, the aurora borealis may become visible over some northern and upper Midwest states from New York to Idaho. NOAA isn't specific as to which states will see it, but Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Michigan and Wisconsin are pretty safe bets.

The aurora often occur for a few glorious minutes at a time. A good display may last between 15 and 30 minutes, although if you're really lucky, it could extend to a couple of hours or longer.

While the possibility of geomagnetic storms and their consequences exists, for now, it's not a cause for significant concern.

No, you can't touch the Northern Lights - they happen high up in the sky. They may seem close enough to touch as they sway and swirl, but they are not physically tangible. They are an optical illusion caused by the collision of charged particles and gasses.

The Northern Lights are more prevalent during Solar Maximum, the last of which occurred in June 2014. Generally speaking, the Aurora Borealis will remain very active for two to three years either side of Solar Maximum which effectively means we're heading into the period of maximum activity.

Experts say 2024 will bring not only the best northern lights in more than 20 years, but they may also appear in areas where they're not normally visible. It's all thanks to what is called the “solar maximum,” when the sun is reaching its peak of a roughly 11-year cycle, which NASA says began again in December 2019.

In May 2024, all across Florida and the United States, people witnessed a rare sight in the night skies: the northern lights, or aurora borealis.

November through to February offer the darkest skies and longer evenings for maximum sky-gazing. The strongest lights tend to appear between 9pm and 2am, though the best sightings often occur between 11pm and midnight.

Where are the northern lights most visible? ›

In Europe the Aurora is most frequently visible in Northern Scandinavia in a band that stretches between 66°N and 69°N, which we call the Aurora Zone. The band can expand further south when geomagnetic activity is high which is why we can occasionally see the Aurora from northern parts of the UK.

You are more likely to see the northern lights in winter, between the months of October and April. This is because the night sky is darker in winter and there are fewer daylight hours.

Although the Northern Lights appear very often, exceptionally strong Northern Lights are not as frequent. (Still, you can maybe catch amazing Northern Lights on average once or twice a month - sometimes there's an amazing show a few days in a row... there's really no order to it).

Clouds, precipitation and the full Moon make it difficult to see the aurora. Look all around you, not only north: auroras may appear anywhere in the sky. Check the position of the auroral oval in real time. Be sure to bundle up—it gets cold at night!

Starting on May 7, at least seven coronal mass ejections, or CMES, charged toward Earth and began storming our planet on May 10, which was when the strongest auroras were seen.

The aurora's characteristic wavy patterns and 'curtains' of light are caused by the lines of force in the Earth's magnetic field. The lowest part of an aurora is typically around 80 miles above the Earth's surface. However, the top of a display may extend several thousand miles above the Earth.

This natural light phenomenon is caused by the collision cosmic rays and the particles within the Earths upper atmosphere. In the northern regions, the aurora borealis, or the northern lights, is the light display commonly seen in areas such as Canada, Poland, Russia and other northern countries.

The lights are usually most active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. EDT For the best views of the Northern Lights, the agency advises traveling as close to the poles as possible, avoiding city lights and other light pollution, monitoring weather forecasts for prime viewing conditions and finding a position on a vantage point ...