How to see auroras in the US

Aurora hunters prepare to attack the famous Aurora Borealis You don’t have to worry about traveling all the way to Alaska, the state known as one of the best places in North America to witness the shades of green and red.

In the coming months, the famous celestial display known as the Northern Lights could come to an end heaven near you – if that is not already the case. Now that the sun has done that officially reaches solar maximumAccording to NASA, skygazers around the world should expect the auroras to blanket the night sky more often in the Northern Hemisphere.

So, how does the sun affect a phenomenon that is most visible when it is nowhere to be seen? It all has to do with solar flares, geomagnetic storms, and some pretty cool interactions in Earth’s atmosphere.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Northern Lights and how to see them now that the sun has reached its solar maximum.

Northern Lights at their peak: The sun is now in its solar maximum, which means there is more aurora activity

What is the solar maximum?

The sun, and the intense magnetic activity it generates, which causes the Northern Lights, waxes and wanes during an eleven-year solar cycle. The peak of activity – the solar maximum – occurs when the sun’s magnetic north and south poles reverse.

When that happens, “the sun transitions from a calm to an active and stormy state,” NASA said in an October press release.

NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration track sunspots – the source of solar eruptions – to predict the progress of a solar cycle and the solar activity that causes it.

Now that authorities have determined that the sun has reached its zenith Solar cycle 25sunspots should increase in areas of intense magnetic activity. When that magnetic activity is released, it creates an intense burst of radiation that results in solar flares – considered by NASA to be the eruption of our solar system. largest explosive events.

Solar flares emit radiation, usually in the form of ultraviolet light and X-rays, that can travel toward Earth at the speed of light. Some of these outbursts may be accompanied by coronal mass ejections, or clouds of plasma and charged particles, emerging from the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona.

These emissions could collide with Earth’s magnetosphere, the barrier that protects humanity from the harshest effects of space weather. geomagnetic storms.

More geomagnetic storms could bring out the Northern Lights

That may sound scary, and because the increased risk of things like disrupted satellite signalsradio communications, internet and electricity networks, that could be possible.

But the increased potential for more geomagnetic storms can also mean more impressive Northern Lights shows.

In early October, Americans arrived from the northern US and as far south as Alabama had the opportunity to witness the striking beams, spirals and flickers of the Northern Lights, which were amplified when a coronal mass ejection of plasma clouds and charged particles drove a geomagnetic storm towards Earth. The storm was so powerful that NOAA called for it issue a rare G4 geomagnetic storm watch for the second time this year.

The first came in May, when a powerful geomagnetic storm was responsible for some reports of power grid irregularities and interference with GPS signals – even agricultural equipment. On the plus side, it also unleashed spectacular views of the Northern Lights in parts of the country where auroras are not often visible.

That specific one storm watch was the first NOAA release in 19 years for a geomagnetic storm classified as a G4 – one level away from the most severe solar storm possible. Amid the solar activity, even the sun was shining an explosive burst of radiation that became the largest solar flare detected since 2017, according to the NOAA.

The phenomenon that has made several recently appearances it was the same across the US particularly visible again in August during the Perseids, considered among astronomers the best meteor shower of the year.

In addition, because NASA expects the solar maximum to continue into 2025, aurora hunters should have many more opportunities to catch the Northern Lights.

What causes the auroras?

The auroras are a display of natural light in Earth’s sky which are best seen in high latitude areas of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

The phenomenon is caused when electrically charged particles from space enter and collide with Earth’s atmosphere molecules and gases such as oxygen and nitrogencausing the atmospheric particles to gain energy. To return to their normal state, the particles release that energy in the form of light, according to the website of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, which tracks the phenomenon.

As auroras form, Earth’s magnetic field sends the particles toward the poles through a process that produces a stunning display of beams, spirals and flickers that have fascinated people for thousands of years. Whether shades of green, red, blue and even pink dance in the sky depends on the altitude at which the collisions occur, as well as the composition and density of the atmosphere at that time.

Where and when can the Northern Lights be seen?

The solar storms send particles from the sun that become entangled in the Earth’s magnetic field. creating colorful auroras because they interact with molecules of atmospheric gases. In the coming months, the resulting glowing aurorae could be quite a sight to see – if you look up at the right place and time.

The aurorae are best seen around the magnetic poles of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres in places like Europe, Asia and North America. In the US, Alaska is known for having the best viewing opportunities for the Northern Lights.

While conditions are favorable for more approaching aurora shows, experts have long struggled to be accurate predict exactly when and where the phenomenon will occur at some point. Even the best predictions can be made accurately only a few days or even hours in advance.

However, NOAA does enforce an Aurora dashboard that should help skygazers track the phenomenon.

And if it looks like the Northern Lights are flaring up near you, it’s advisable to leave the cities and travel to dark locations that are free of light pollution. If the weather is clear, the best aurora is usually visible within an hour or two after midnightaccording to NOAA.

Contributions: Max HauptmanUSA TODAY

One version of this story was last published on October 1.

Eric Lagatta covers the latest and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Northern Lights Should Bloom Amid Solar Maximum: How to See Auroras