Northern Lights Illuminate the Sky Across 22 States Tonight
A powerful solar event is set to create a spectacular aurora display visible across a large part of the United States tonight. Following a significant solar flare on November 5, a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) was released, propelling plasma and magnetic fields at speeds between 2.5 and 3.1 million mph.
Solar Flare and CME Details
The M7.4 solar flare originated from the sun's outer layer and launched the CME, which is expected to reach Earth between late November 6 and early November 7. This intense solar activity is anticipated to trigger strong geomagnetic storms, classified as G3, according to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.
"Watches have been issued for these times with moderate to high confidence in timing, and moderate confidence in magnitude," NOAA stated.
Impact on Aurora Visibility
If the CME arrives as forecasted, it should amplify the northern lights, extending their visibility from the polar regions into the US Midwest and as far as New York and other parts of the country. This sets the stage for an extraordinary display of auroras this weekend.
"A whole train of big #solarstorms are on their way, along with some smaller storms hitting now, and some fast solar wind!" said space weather physicist Tamitha Skov on X. "It is an #aurora photographer’s dream starting now and lasting at least through the weekend."
Who Can See the Show?
- New York
- US Midwest
- Areas across 22 states
Aurora viewers in these regions should prepare for a unique opportunity to see the northern and southern lights illuminated by this rare cosmic event.
Summary
The upcoming geomagnetic storm promises an extraordinary aurora display visible across multiple US states due to a fast-moving CME triggered by a major solar flare.
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