The northern lights are a spectacular sight in the night sky and can be seen at night in some parts of New England.
These colorful displays, lit by solar storms, are caused by interactions between charged particles emitted by the Sun and Earth’s atmosphere, especially oxygen and nitrogen.
Before dawn Friday, New England will have a chance to see the lights. It will become visible in the northernmost latitudes on Thursday evening, but the lights will peak in the mid-high latitudes between midnight and 4 a.m. on Friday.
Thursday night’s lights will shine with moderate geomagnetic storm strength Kp6 or G2, increasing to strong geomagnetic storm strength K7 or G3 after midnight. Although there will be some clouds, they should not prevent you from seeing the lights, as the clouds will not be very dense yet.
If you think the northern lights have been more visible in New England than usual lately, you’re right!
Understanding the sun’s cycle is crucial to learning about the aurora borealis. The Sun is a huge ball of fiery gases, acting and reacting in a cycle that lasts 11 to 15 years. This begins and ends with low activity and peaks in the middle, when the Sun’s surface is most active.
During the active phases, characterized by increased sunspots, temperature differences between the cool sunspots and the Sun’s hot surface trigger interactions such as solar flares and geomagnetic storms to maintain the Sun’s equilibrium, or equal temperature, along the surface. These events generate stronger solar winds that push charged ions toward Earth.
Upon reaching Earth, the magnetosphere protects the planet from most charged particles, except for those near the poles. When these solar ions enter near the poles and interact with atmospheric gases, they emit colored light, creating the northern lights.
The stronger the solar wind, the brighter the colors, and the further south (in the Northern Hemisphere) the lights spread.
The Sun is currently approaching its maximum activity. Mid-2024 is expected to be the peak activity for the current cycle.
So, yes, we are seeing an increase in aurora activity. Notably, in April 2023, a powerful geomagnetic storm brought a visible aurora to the south-central United States, a rare but unprecedented event. Historically, the northern lights appeared as far south as Honolulu in the late 1800s.
Meteorologist Robin Capote tells us what’s behind this amazing natural phenomenon.
As we approach the peak of the current solar cycle, aurora activity is expected to amplify until 2025. They are best viewed from September to March after geomagnetic activity increases.
The northern part of the United States sees the most vibrant colors, including Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Make sure to view it under dark skies with minimal moonlight.
After 2025, the next solar maximum will occur between 2036 and 2041.
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