A solar storm forecast for Thursday may give skygazers in 17 American states, including three right here in New England, a chance to glimpse the Northern Lights, the colorful sky show that happens when solar wind hits the atmosphere.
Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, are most often seen in Alaska, Canada and Scandinavia, but an 11-year solar cycle that's expected to peak in 2024 is making the lights visible in places farther to the south.
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The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks has forecast auroral activity for the region on Thursday in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center said people wanting to experience an aurora should get away from city lights and that the best viewing times are between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time.
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Northern Lights occur when a magnetic solar wind slams into the Earth's magnetic field and causes atoms in the upper atmosphere to glow. The lights appear suddenly and the intensity varies.
A geomagnetic index known as Kp ranks auroral activity on a scale from zero to nine, with zero being not very active and nine being bright and active. The Geophysical Institute has forecast Kp 6 for Thursday's storm.
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Elsewhere across the US, auroral activity has been forecast Thursday for Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Indiana, and Maryland.
Light displays are expected to be visible overhead in Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Helena, Montana, and low on the horizon in Salem, Oregon.; Boise, Idaho; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Annapolis, Maryland; and Indianapolis, according to the institute.
Auroral activity also has been forecast for Canada, including Vancouver.
Three months ago, the light displays were visible in Arizona, marking the third severe geomagnetic storm since the current solar cycle began in 2019.
