You no longer have to travel to Iceland or somewhere in the Arctic circle to spot the dazzling Aurora Borealis, at least for this weekend, as it is appearing over multiple states in North America for skywatchers to witness. This is because a recent coronal mass ejection (CME) flared up last Wednesday, January 22, and its lasting impact shares the beautiful display of lights in the night skies.
Aurora Borealis Shows Up In North American Skies This Weekend
NASA shared that recent activity by the Sun sent out a coronal mass ejection (CME) last January 22, and it was categorized as an M5.5 class flare that has its trajectory towards the planet, making an impact in the next three days or longer. As a result, it has now spawned an aurora borealis that is visible in the night sky starting Thursday, January 23, which was revealed to be the weakest one to be seen up above.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently shared a forecast of a G2-level geomagnetic storm happening in the world which it regarded as a "moderate" storm and would not have a dangerous effect on the public.
Alongside the expected radio disruptions caused by the storm, it is also leading to the northern lights appearing over North America over the next days and will appear over the weekend until Sunday.
How, When, and Where to Spot Aurora Borealis in the US?
As mentioned earlier, the first display of the aurora borealis will appear over the night sky this January 23, but it will be the faintest one in its appearance over the weekend. According to NOAA, Montana, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Washington will have the best display of the aurora borealis in its occurrence. That being said, it will also be visible in Idaho, Main, Michigan, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
By Friday night on January 24, it will feature a stronger presence in the night sky and will be visible in some parts of these states: northern Iowa, northern New York state, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Wyoming. The auroras will continue to be seen on Saturday, January 25 until Sunday, January 26, but are less dazzling than before.
The Beautiful Aurora Borealis Display
The mesmerizing cosmic display of the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, has been one of the must-see phenomena in the night skies, and it has been on the bucket list for many for a long time now. To give you a refresher, the auroras are formed thanks to the central piece of the Solar System, the Sun, where its charged particles are sent towards the planet via solar wind when it interacts with the Earth's magnetic field.
However, aurora borealis is also formed via the Sun's solar flares, and it was revealed via a report that the more frequenting nature of these cosmic lights may also bring potential implications to the world. The study revealed that the auroras have been more frequent in the night sky, and not only that, they are also seen in various places in the world to which they were unavailable before, which could signal massive communications disruptions.
That being said, the occurrence of aurora borealis is a natural cosmic phenomenon and is not because of humans and their adverse effects on the planet, and it is still considered one of the wonders of the world. For those who are longing to see the northern lights but cannot go to the usual places they appear, do not worry as it is now visible in the United States towards the weekend, but make sure to spot it during the night and on open spaces.
