An optical phenomenon usually reserved for northern arctic latitudes may put on quite a show tonight across upstate New York. The aurora borealis, or northern lights, may be visible tonight and early Wednesday because the sun had two minor solar storms on Sunday that have shot tons of plasma directly at the earth, causing the auroral oval to expand southward.
Sometimes these solar storms can negatively affect the power grids and orbiting satellites, but scientists say they do not expect that to happen this time. Often, the aurora borealis can emit brilliant colors of green, blue, and red in the night sky.
Other residents in Montana, North Dakota, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, northern Michigan, and northern portions of New England may also see the unusual northern lights tonight.
The forecast tonight for upstate New York calls for scattered showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then mostly cloudy skies with low temperatures in the upper 60's. It will be hard to see the aurora if skies are cloudy.
- For more information on the aurora borealis forecast, visit the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska or the Space Weather Prediction Center.
If you see the aurora borealis tonight and take photographs, e-mail them to me here and they may be featured in a future article. Join my facebook group for further updates or subscribe with your e-mail above.
Comments
Wish I was there to see it...
Ahhh, the Northern lights. One of the best things about living in North Dakota (when I did live there).
Yeah ... we get to see lightening and dirty river water ... the thrills of living in St. Louis. No pretty lights. :(
Awh that is so pretty, wish we could see it in Tampa. I am looking forward to try and see the 2 moons on Aug 28th.
There will be no "2 moons" - check stuff out before you believe it. That same email goes out every year and has for a decade.
I think what you may be referring to is two Full moons in one month. The second full moon in a month is called the "Blue moon."
Or you may be speaking of the speculation that the planet Mars will be bright in the sky that it will look like the Earth has two moons. This is incorrect, as Andrea said. It is believed to be a circulating e-mail hoax.
I've only seen the Northern Lights one time - while on vacation in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
I've never seen them Natalie...hoping to see it tonight!
I've seen the Northern Lights once before but so wanted to catch them last night - cloudy here :(
I saw the aurora borealis once as a child on Long Island. It was around Easter time, if I recall correctly. The sky was pitch black and my mom said, "Look! Look outside! It's the aurora!." I looked out the back door and saw what looked like an orange and green curtain swaying in the sky. It was spectacular. Years later I saw an aurora again but it was just a reddish orange glow along the horizon, and this was in the years after they had introduced orange-colored "anti-crime lights" in most towns and parking lots, so it really just looked like more intense anti-crime lights as seen from a distance. Nothing like the display I'd seen as a child.
This would be so cool to see, will have to tell my sister to look out in the sky for this.
Great story theeggmann. Hoping for a clear night to see the aurora tonight.
I have Seen them barley twice this summer while we went on a family trip to alaska. once in North pole alaska faintly and than the second in the plane on the way home :)
That's awesome...must have been pretty amazing from the plane! Hopefully we get more views with the sun's activity ramping up lately!
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