The northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, are caused by electrically charged particles that interact with the Earth’s atmosphere and are heated, creating light displays. Increased solar activity makes the northern lights appear more frequently.
The past year has seen a fair share of Northern Lights viewings, as we are in an active period of the sun cycle.
This time, it’s thanks to a double eruption from the sun that launched two coronal mass ejections on April 12 and April 13. The first of those blasts already hit Earth’s magnetic field, with a G3 or strong geomagnetic storm possible. This means the Northern Lights could dip, possibly as far south as Massachusetts and southern New England.
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But before you get too excited, this geomagnetic storm could peak before sunset, meaning the brightest glow will not be visible. But right after sunset, there is still potential once it is dark. A better chance for viewing overnight would be in northern New England.
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SIGN UP The forecast is playing along. We’ll see on-and-off cloud cover overnight, but there should be some clear windows.
Temps drop into the upper 30s, so bundle up if you're out chasing the glow.
Heightened geomagnetic activity is expected over the next few days.
