Heads up, skywatchers!
Scientists predict that the northern lights are about to put on a far-reaching show that should be visible across most of Canada, thanks to a coronal “hole” in the sun that’s sending a high-speed stream of charged particles toward Earth.
These intense auroras are expected to dance across the night sky on June 25 and 26, reaching all the way down into the northern United States.
“The aurora may become visible over some northern and upper Midwest states from New York to Idaho,” representatives for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) wrote in an update.
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According to the SWPC, the Kp index, a measure of geomagnetic activity, is forecast to peak at 5.67. The Kp index ranges from zero to nine, and a higher Kp indicates a stronger chance for northern lights.
Often, the aurora oval is contained to more northern parts of Canada, but places like southern Ontario and Quebec, as well as states like Oregon, South Dakota and New York, will have a chance to glimpse them if the conditions are right.
To best view the aurora, it helps to get as far away from light pollution as possible and situate yourself in a north-facing vantage point, ideally so you can see the horizon. Of course, cloudy skies will always make a sighting less likely, as will the shorter summer nights, so your best chance to see them will be around midnight or into the early morning hours.
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