It could be a colorful night sky for more than half of millions of people in the northern U.S. as the aurora borealis, or northern lights, could make an appearance in more than half of the country.
The possibility of seeing the dazzling display comes after the sun had a solar flare erupt on Friday that was directed toward Earth, according to the NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. As a result, 30 states will have the chance to see the the aurora borealis, stretching from Washington to Maine, and as far south as Kansas, the Space Weather Watch says, as long as weather conditions permit.
“All in all, you can anticipate good conditions for auroral displays,” EarthSky said.
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Geomagnetic storm watch
The Space Weather Prediction Center issued a G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm watch into Sunday night, with a chance of a G3 (strong) developing later in the night.
The center has a five-level geomagnetic storm scale, with G1 storms registering as minor and G5s considered extreme. A G2 storm typically happens 360 days every 11 years, the center says.
Where will the northern lights appear?
The northern lights will be possible to see in 30 states, depending on weather conditions like cloud coverage.
“Aurora viewing is likely in the United States tonight as Earth is impacted by a strong solar storm. The most favorable cloud conditions look to be over the Midwest, Plains and parts of the Great Lakes and less favorable conditions in the Northeast and Northwest,” the Space Watch said.
Here’s the states where it’ll be possible to see the northern lights Sunday night:
- Washington
- Oregon
- Idaho
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Utah
- Colorado
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Nebraska
- Kansas
- Minnesota
- Iowa
- Missouri
- Wisconsin
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Indiana
- Ohio
- Kentucky
- West Virginia
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
- Maine
There’s a chance the auroras could also been seen in Northern California and Texas.
“Chances for aurora as far south as California, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Alabama, etc if the storms hold in intensity headed into this evening, otherwise, a good portion of the U.S. should still have a chance to see something,” the Space Weather Watch said.
What time will the northern lights appear?
The NOAA says the best time to see the northern lights is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time. At that time, officials advise people to get away from city lights to see the the aurora borealis.
Recent northern light displays
The possibility of seeing the northern lights in several states comes a month after they shined in the night sky in the northern U.S., with people in several states capturing pictures of the display.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.