Everyone’s talking about “solar eclipse this” and “solar eclipse that.”
But there’s other stuff going on in the sky too, you know. Like the northern lights, for one.
Astronomy
The Associated Press reports how space weather forecasters issued a geomagnetic storm watch starting this weekend through Monday, April 25.
These storms, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), are caused by “variations in solar wind that produces major changes in the currents, plasmas, and fields in Earth’s magnetosphere.”
Due to their nature, the Associated Press continues to report these plasma bursts may result in solar flares, causing disruptions to high-frequency radio transmissions on Earth such as those used in the communications between aircraft and traffic control towards (although there’s no need for worry: most commercial aircraft have satellite transmission for back-up).
These geomagnetic storms can also allow for the northern lights to extend farther past their usual range of visibility: CBS News explains that, in fact, these lights may be seen as far south as Alabama, meaning people in Pennsylvania may be able to get a glimpse at them, too.
The last time a storm like this occurred was back in November, and, before that, July. Both times created the possibility of the northern lights being visible in places where they typically aren’t seen.
The Verge states that the best time to spot the north lights is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., local time.
However, it’s expected to be partly cloudy tonight, marring the change for some to see them.