Two nights ago, many people in the continental United States got quite a treat when a strong blast of the solar wind made a direct hit on Earth, sparking displays of aurora, also known as the Northern Lights, that could be seen as far South as Texas. The resulting pictures have lit up the web, too. So, since everyone's talking about them, what are the Northern Lights, anyway?
The aurora are caused when the energized particles from the Sun come into contact with Earth's upper atmosphere. When the charged energy hits Earth, the particles react and the atoms/molecules in Earth's upper atmosphere give off the photons we see as the Northern Lights. Why are the lights different colors? Each individual atom gives off a different glow when excited by the incoming solar wind. For us living in the Northern hemisphere, auroras are common in high latitudes such as Canada, the Scandinavian countries, and higher. For those at mid latitudes, such as the continental United States, the lights don't make it this far South all that often, last night being a major exception.
So, what's the chance of seeing them again?
Well, the news is good and bad. For starters, the Moon is nearly New, which means that nature's night light won't interfere with aurora watching. The bad news is that, to begin with, the blasts from the Sun that created the aurora were not overly strong, which is bad news for a multi-night display at this Southerly latitude. Weather?, Well, see if it will be clear near you by finding a local Clear Sky Clock. Sure, the Northern Lights may not make it this far down, but it never hurts to look.
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