Locals’ shortest drive to catch a glimpse of the solar storm later this week is Boise, Idaho.
The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks has forecast light displays are expected to be visible over 16 other states including Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
Three months ago, the Northern Lights were visible as far south as Arizona, making it the third severe geomagnetic storm since the current solar cycle started in 2019.
KPCW sat down with University of Utah physics and astronomy professor Charlie Ray who explained what causes the Northern Lights and why we are suddenly able to see them so far south.
According to Ray, the interaction between protons and electrons in Earth’s atmosphere is what causes the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. These particles get trapped in the magnetic field lines that start at the North and South Poles.
“Now the reason why we're seeing them pushing south most recently is because the sun actually goes through cycles of 11 years," he said. "What happens is that the magnetic poles of the sun - like the Earth, the sun itself has magnetic poles - but the magnetic poles in the sun, which is also roughly north and south, switch over every 11 years. At the switchover, when the sun becomes very turbulent, the sun goes through this relatively smooth and relatively turbulent flows. And when it switches over, the magnetic field is no longer just north and south, it starts to get rather ragged.”
Ray says the more active the sun is, the more particles enter the atmosphere and the farther out the Northern Lights spread.
This 11-year cycle is expected to reach its peak in 2024, making the lights visible farther south than normal.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center says anyone who wants to see the Northern Lights in the predicted areas should get away from city lights, and be patient. The best viewing times are between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
NOAA has a short-term forecast that displays the intensity and location of the solar storm to help track the lights.
