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Northern Lights Set to Dazzle Skies Across U.S. Again Tonight
Get ready for an encore! After a stunning display of green and pink auroras lit up the night sky on Tuesday, another spectacular Northern Lights show is anticipated tonight across the northern United States.
These vibrant celestial light shows are a result of one of the strongest geomagnetic storms of the year. This phenomenon occurs when electrons ejected from the sun collide with Earth’s magnetic field, producing the mesmerizing colored lights we call auroras.
As explained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the “aurora is the name given to the glow or light produced when electrons from space flow down Earth’s magnetic field and collide with atoms and molecules of the upper atmosphere in a ring or oval centered on the magnetic pole of Earth.” These collisions create light, much like how neon lights work.
Tonight’s potential spectacle could be as vivid as Tuesday’s, according to Mike Bettwy, a meteorologist at the Space Weather Prediction Center. “We had three coronal mass ejections leave the Sun since late last week.
The third and final one is expected to impact our atmosphere later today and tonight,” Bettwy told ABC News. He added that while difficult to predict with absolute certainty, it’s possible tonight’s event will be as impactful, noting that auroras were even reported as far south as Tampa, Florida, overnight.
“While not unprecedented, it is quite unusual for the aurora to be visible at these low latitudes; probably only occurring once or twice per solar cycle,” Bettwy stated.
A broad swath of the U.S. is on alert for tonight’s display. According to NOAA’s aurora viewline map, two dozen states could potentially witness the Northern Lights. This includes Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
The colors of the aurora depend on the altitude at which the sun’s electrons interact with Earth’s atmosphere. Electrons colliding with the atmosphere below 60 miles typically produce pink hues, while those hitting between 75 and 110 miles create the more common green glow, as per NASA.
For those hoping to catch a glimpse, NOAA suggests the prime viewing window is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. To capture the best photographs of this natural light show, NASA recommends finding the darkest possible area and utilizing a long exposure setting on your camera.