Geostorm To Give Northern US, Canada Chance To See Aurora Borealis - Tech Times

The aurora borealis is a result of electrically charged particles from the sun entering the Earth's atmosphere. Typically, the best places to watch the aurora borealis are in parts of Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and Iceland. ( Pixabay )

A geostorm on Friday may give people in the Northern United States and Canada a chance to witness the aurora borealis from where they are.

Which places will have this rare opportunity?

Geostorm Warning

On March 21, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a geostorm warning for March 22 to 24 as a result of a solar flare that erupted last March 20. The geostorm warnings for the said days are as follows: below G1 for March 22, G2 for March 23, and G1 for March 24.

This means that on the evening of Friday, March 22, up until early morning on Saturday, March 23, the solar flare will bend around the Earth’s magnetic field and slam onto the poles. As a result, the northern lights will be supercharged and cause it to go deeper.

While this may cause some minor blackouts in some high-frequency radio signals and navigation signals, it may also give some people a chance to see the northern lights.

Northern Lights In America

With the geostorm warning, people in the Northern United States may be able to see the northern lights should the conditions allow it. With a clear and dark sky, people in Canada, North Dakota, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Montana, Michigan, Vermont, and Maine may be able to watch the northern lights, while those in Detroit and Chicago may be able to see it on the horizon.

The light show may be seen best about three or four hours around midnight, but those who live in light-polluted locations may find it harder. Furthermore, the bright moon on Friday may make it a little difficult as well.

Northern Lights

Typically, the auroras can be seen in the northern and southern hemisphere. In the north, it is called the aurora borealis and can be seen in parts of northwestern Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, Norway, and Siberia, while the aurora australis in the south are not often seen, as they are concentrated over Antarctica and the southern Indian Ocean.

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