The best place to see the Northern Lights Monday night: US times and locations to observe the aurora borealis

The Northern Lights are typically visible at higher latitudes, but their appearance is not evenly distributed. A major geomagnetic storm is currently hitting the United States, but with the peak hours of the event expected to take place during the day, there will be little chance to catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis. The lights are most visible from September to early April, meaning that the window to enjoy this natural phenomenon is coming a close until the fall.

What is a geomagnetic storm?

Geomagnetic storms occur when solar winds exchange energy with the space surrounding the earth. These solar winds bring radiation that penetrates the ionosphere and the other upper levels of the earth’s atmosphere. More people may be familiar with the phenomena known as auroras or “northern lights” caused by these events.

What causes the Aurora Borealis?

The Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis, are created when highly charged particles from the Sun are funneled by the Earth’s magnetic field and enter the atmosphere at high speed. As these particles interact with the upper atmosphere at altitudes of 60 to more than 250 miles, they ionize the atmosphere, resulting in a colorful display of light across the sky. The lights can appear in various colors, including vibrant greens and purples. The Northern Lights are most commonly seen in the polar regions with the best viewing anywhere with a magnetic latitude above 55º and low light pollution. You can find your magnetic latitude either at NOAA or World Data Center for Geomagnetism.

When there are strong solar flares, the lights can be seen at lower latitudes than usual. For example, Minneapolis is at a 55º magnetic latitude and about 300 miles from the Canadian border, while Seattle, which is less than half the distance, is at less than 53º.

How can I see them?

The Northern Lights can occur at any time of the year, but the darker it is, the better the visibility. The best time to view the Aurora Borealis is during the equinoxes in March and September. They don’t usually appear for long, often coming and going in just a few minutes. A good display may last for no longer than 15-30 minutes at a time, although if you’re really lucky, it could extend to a couple of hours or longer.

To see them the sky needs to be dark and clear of any clouds. They may appear like illuminated rain on the horizon depending on your latitude but the further north, or south depending on the hemisphere, you go the better chance they will fill the sky. National Geographic gives 7 of the best locations to view them.

How can I know when the Northern Light will appear?

There is no 100% guarantee of spotting the Northern Lights just hope that you are in the right place at the right time. There are forecasts available with the Kp Index is generally considered the most accurate. The forecast corresponds to the planetary magnetic index on a scale of one to nine, with one being very low activity and nine very high. The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska has an excellent website, which allows you to view predicted activity in all auroral regions. You can also sign up for Northern Lights forecast email alerts that tell you when activity rises above four to five on the Kp scale.