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Aurora forecast March 10: THESE US states will see Northern lights today
NOAA predicts northern lights visible across much of the northern US due to a geomagnetic storm on Tuesday night.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a stronger-than-usual forecast for Tuesday night, predicting that the northern lights will be visible across much of the northern United States. This spectacle is expected to occur due to a modest geomagnetic storm, which is set to take place late Tuesday.
On a scale of 0 to 9, the northern lights are forecasted to have a Kp index of 5, following a moderate geomagnetic storm that took place over the weekend. Initially, NOAA predicted that the northern lights might be visible in about 15 states. The storm is caused by a coronal mass ejection, a significant expulsion of plasma from the sun.
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G1 storms, visible from areas like northern Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, Washington, and Montana, are expected. G2 storms could be seen from central Idaho and New York, while G3 storms may be visible in Oregon and Illinois. G4 storms, the most intense, may be seen from northern California, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Vermont, and as far south as Alabama, as reported by Forbes.
According to NOAA, the Kp index will decrease later in the week, peaking at around 2 or 3 on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, NOAA predicts a strong chance of seeing the northern lights across almost all of Alaska on Tuesday night.
The best time to view the aurora borealis is during darkness, ideally between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time. To get the best view, NOAA recommends avoiding light pollution, traveling as far north as possible, and finding a high vantage point.
2024 has seen exceptionally high aurora borealis activity, with the lights often visible in American skies. According to NASA, the visibility of the northern lights reached a 500-year high last year, and the auroras are expected to remain active through 2026.
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This surge in aurora activity is linked to the sun being in its "solar maximum," the most active phase of its 11-year cycle. This has led to a series of powerful solar flares, including one in October that reached an X9.0 level and produced auroras as far south as Florida with a Kp index as high as 7.
