If you're anything like me, seeing the northern lights has got to be a bucket list occasion. It's really not something that comes around often, especially if you don't live very far north. But, according to People, this might be something a lot of people will be able to tick off tonight. If you're reading this on April 10, and you're in one of the 10 states with the right weather conditions, you're in luck!
The best chances are in states near the Canadian border - Washington, Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Maine. Oh, and, obviously, Alaska. Those, among others, are naturally the most northerly states. It makes sense, right? You normally only hear about the northern lights happening in the far, far north.
But, there's a chance that the activity could surge to more southerly states. Places like New York and Ohio might be able to view it.
The best viewing window is looking to be the evening of April 10, stretching right into the early hours of April 11. It's very important to be in a dark place. The countryside is the best, as cities would have a little too much light pollution for things to be visible.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecasted possibility of northern lights. They say that the conditions could reach minor geomagnetic storm levels. The levels are strong enough that the lights may well appear.
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How Do the Northern Lights Happen?
I bet you're wondering the scientific reason why those pretty lights show up in the sky. Well, it's because of geomagnetic storms. It sounds scary, but it's just particles from the sun hitting the Earth's atmosphere. This causes light to appear, most typically in green bursts.
The Sun releases solar wind in intervals, which carry these particles. The specific northern lights event tonight is caused by a specific interaction between faster and slower solar wind streams. What's happening is a fast stream is overtaking a slow stream. This means that the Earth gets a lot of these particles all at once - meaning the northern lights grace our planet.
