Forecasts Show You Might Still Have A Chance To Catch The Northern Lights

If you’ve been scrolling through countless photos of colorful skies recently, you’re not alone. A particularly powerful solar storm has extended the visibility of the Northern Lights, giving much more of the planet a view of the impressive auroras.

While it’s not visible everywhere, if you’re in one of the places within its range you probably still have time to catch the show.

What you should know

Mother's Day weekend was perhaps the best time to see the lights … but according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the storm causing this phenomenon is expected to continue for a while longer.

Early this morning, the colors could be seen across the U.S., but not always with the naked eye. Experts have some advice for those who want to capture the best images:

• The prime viewing hours are between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
• Cellphone cameras pick up the light better than your eyes.
• Turning on the phone’s night mode yields the best results.

“Just go out your back door and take a picture with a newer cellphone and you’d be amazed at what you see in that picture versus what you see with your eyes,” explained the NOAA’s Brent Gordon.

More than a light show

It’s a cool thing to witness, but keep in mind that there’s a huge storm on the sun that is causing it. And that can lead to some potential problems.

Specifically, these solar flares (known as coronal mass ejections) can sometimes interfere with communications systems, navigation equipment, satellites, and even the power grid. Some of these disruptions have already been reported since the current storm began.

The activity hasn’t been this extreme in more than 20 years, but the activity should be calming down significantly by tomorrow.

Chris Agee May 13th, 2024

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