Northern Lights captured in Lindstrom by Rachel. (Supplied)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minnesota residents may have a chance to see the Northern Lights in the coming days, as NOAA issued a rare "severe" geomagnetic storm watch.
Northern Lights possible
What we know:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm watch for the evening of Nov. 11, a rare G4 (severe) watch for Nov. 12, and a G3 (strong) watch for Nov. 13.
"Watches at this level are very rare; still, this is the fourth G4 Watch issued so far this solar cycle," NOAA explained in a post on X.
Geomagnetic storms are what fuel the aurora and G5 is the strongest level of storm. While NOAA has not specified the peak hours for that latest round of watches, it noted the aurora may be visible over the northern half of the country, and potentially as far south as Alabama.
How geomagnetic storms work
Dig deeper:
The sun has recently become very active over the last few days. At least two solar storms are likely on their way toward Earth with another possibly heading this way with more activity continuing earlier on Tuesday.
Known scientifically as Coronal Mass Ejections, or CMEs, these solar storms are large bursts of plasma and magnetically charged particles that blast off the sun's corona, or the outer atmosphere. These specifically come from sunspots, or cooler more unstable sections of the sun that are far more volatile than the rest of the star.
When these spots point toward Earth, they can send an enormous amount of energy in our direction. When this added energy hits our outer atmosphere, it deflects most of this around the planet and back out into space. This interaction and deflection we see is the Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights. However, this doesn't guarantee seeing them.
Here's what to know:
- The aurora can be notoriously elusive, lasting a few minutes or even just a few seconds at a time.
- Just because there is a solar storm interacting with the Earth's atmosphere doesn't necessarily mean we can see the Aurora.
- Timing is everything when it comes to seeing these in Minnesota. The storms have to line up with our nighttime hours, they have to be strong enough to be seen this far south, and skies need to be clear or mostly clear since clouds will block our view.
- The intensity of colors you will see with your eyes will never match what you see with pictures by professional photographers on the internet, or even what your smartphone will see. These photos are often enhanced, plus cameras catch a larger spectrum of light than what our eyes can see. However, the show can still be quite spectacular under the right conditions.
- For the moment, it appears Tuesday night will have the best chance to view them. However, Wednesday night and Thursday night could also have a high probability depending on how things unfold in the next 24 hours, so stay tuned.
Tips for seeing the aurora
What you can do:
The NOAA recommends the following tips for the best chance to see the Northern Lights.
- It’s generally better to go north.
- To have the best opportunity to see them, get as far away from city lights as possible. You can use this map to find the best spots near you.
- Spring and fall are often the best times to see the aurora, because "the subtleties in the way the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere" can create larger geomagnetic storms.
You can find the latest space weather forecast on NOAA’s website here.
The Source: This story uses information from NOAA and previous FOX 9 reporting.