How to view tonight's aurora in New England
New England residents have a chance to view the aurora borealis overnight due to a moderate geomagnetic storm caused by a coronal mass ejection. Experts suggest the best viewing window is between 3 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. with clear skies expected.
Why it matters
It provides practical information for the public regarding a rare astronomical event influenced by solar activity.
If you’re willing to lose a little sleep tonight, there could be a pretty good reason to step outside and look to the north.
The Northern Lights could make an appearance across New England overnight, thanks to a coronal mass ejection (CME), essentially a cloud of magnetized solar material racing past Earth. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center is expecting a moderate geomagnetic storm , a level G2 out of 5, overnight Thursday into the predawn hours of Friday. A geomagnetic storm watch of that level can typically extend the visibility of the northern lights as far south as Massachusetts, although some forecasts have the viewing line as far south as New Jersey.
It’s never a certainty that a strong geomagnetic storm will occur. It’s always tricky to forecast how strong the CME might be when it erupts from the sun 91 million and 93 million miles away from Earth.
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