Parts of the US will bear witness to the Northern Lights from October 4 to October 6, as the forecast predicts auroras visible deep into the mid-latitude regions. The phenomenon, known as the Aurora Borealis, is triggered by geomagnetic storms and will be visible in areas like Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Oregon.
By Thursday, the northern lights were already visible in certain regions of Michigan, given the geomagnetic storm predictions. As per officials, these storms are expected to reach high and strong storm levels, possibly G3 to G5, all through the weekend.
According to Bryan Brasher, project manager for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center,
"If we hit G1 levels or above, you could expect the possibility to see aurora in areas along the US-Canada border including parts of North Dakota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan."
All you need to know before viewing the Aurora Borealis
On Thursday evening, the lights had already begun making their way to Michigan’s southern border, per the forecast released that day by the Space Weather Prediction Center. This means that the southernmost part of the Lower Peninsula can expect to witness the Aurora Borealis, while Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula may stand a chance if the right conditions are met.
According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, the phenomenon will be seen along the U.S.-Canada border, as well as along the lines of Oregon to Pennsylvania. The best time to witness the lights will be on Friday, October 4, from around midnight, until the morning of the following day. In a statement to USA Today, the center said,
"This forecast comes with a fair amount of uncertainty because initial space weather predictions rely on remote and limited solar observations. Auroras can be unpredictable, waxing and waning quickly. Visibility might range from bright and relatively high in the sky to faint and low on the Northern Horizon (maybe only visible with long-exposure camera shots), or even not visible at all."
Why can we see the Aurora Borealis in October?
According to Space.com, the reason behind the imminent phenomenon is the two intense solar eruptions that occurred on October 1 and 2. Each eruption sent massive plumes of plasma and coronal mass ejection (CME), creating a kind of magnetic field. Per the website, the phenomenon is a byproduct of the CMEs engaging with Earth's magnetosphere.
The CMEs come with ions, which are essentially electrically charged particles, and they collide with the magnetosphere, culminating in said geomagnetic storms. During this process, the ions that clash with the atmospheric gases emanate light, or what we know as the Northern Lights. In the southern hemisphere, however, it is known as the Southern Lights or Aurora Australis.
These geomagnetic storms are classified on a NOAA G-scale rating from G1, which is on the minor side, to G5, which indicates extremity. According to the website, the most recent geomagnetic storm has been classified under G3. The website further reveals that it is next to impossible to time the next phenomenon's occurrence, given its complex nature.
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