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The Northern Lights may be visible in Wisconsin this evening and Friday evening

Vaseline October 4, 2024

According to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, some lucky Wisconsin residents will be able to see the Northern Lights Thursday and Friday evening.

According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, the Northern Lights could be visible in some parts of the US, including parts of Wisconsin, after two observed coronal mass ejections, including the massive X7.1 solar flare.

The center issued geomagnetic storm watches for the rest of the week, forecasting the presence of the Northern Lights in the night sky.

In May, a powerful geomagnetic storm unleashed spectacular views of the Northern Lights in areas of the U.S. where aurora are rarely visible, including here in Milwaukee. As the sun approaches the peak of its eleven-year cycle in 2025, people around the world can expect more frequent and brighter Northern Lights activity due to increased electromagnetic activity.

Where can I see the Northern Lights in Wisconsin?

According to NOAA, the northern lights could be visible Thursday night and into the weekend in northern Wisconsin and perhaps as far south as southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, the Northern Lights are expected to be visible in several northern U.S. states Thursday evening, Friday evening and Saturday evening.

Sightings are forecast along the U.S.-Canada border, as well as as far south as Oregon to Pennsylvania, the center said. The best time to view the auroras is Friday from around midnight until the early hours of Saturday.

External variables, such as weather and the precise trajectory of the solar eruption, which can change during the 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) journey to Earth, can affect the reliability of the forecast.

To monitor the aurora forecast, you can use the NOAA aurora forecast tool, which has a 30-minute forecast window. There is also a tool on the Milwaukee Astronomical Society website at milwaukeeastro.org.

On the tool you can see the Northern Lights forecast for 35 minutes ahead. You have good chances of seeing the Northern Lights if the color over Wisconsin is yellow, orange or even red.

What causes the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis, are a natural light show in Earth’s sky that is best seen in high latitude areas of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

The phenomenon is caused when electrically charged particles from space enter Earth’s atmosphere and collide with molecules and gases such as oxygen and nitrogen, causing the atmospheric particles to gain energy. To return to their normal state, the particles release that energy in the form of light, according to the website of the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute at Fairbanks, which tracks the phenomenon.

As auroras form, Earth’s magnetic field sends the particles toward the poles through a process that produces a stunning display of beams, spirals and flickers that have fascinated people for thousands of years. Whether shades of green, red, blue and pink dance in the sky depends on the altitude at which the collisions occur, as well as the composition and density of the atmosphere at that time.

When the Northern Lights are active, the best time to see them is between 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM