Northern lights could be strong Friday over Michigan. What to expect - Detroit Free Press
NOAA has issued a geomagnetic storm watch for Michigan, suggesting that the northern lights may be visible across the state on Friday night. Residents are encouraged to visit dark sky areas to increase their chances of viewing the aurora borealis.
Why it matters
Public awareness of space weather events helps citizens engage with natural phenomena and understand the impact of solar activity on Earth's atmosphere.
Hear this story Michigan skies could feature dazzling northern lights Friday, Aug. 28, according to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) forecast.
NOAA issued a G1 geomagnetic storm watch earlier this week. A geomagnetic storm is a worldwide disturbance of the Earth's magnetic field. The storm could produce a Kp index of more than 5 Friday night, Aug. 28, leading to potentially strong aurora borealis , or northern lights, visibility.
Friday, the aurora could be overhead in the Upper Peninsula and visible throughout the state to the north.
Kp is an index used to indicate the severity of the global magnetic disturbances in near-Earth space, NOAA said. Kp ratings increase from zero to 9. NOAA is predicting minor geomagnetic storm impacts.
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