While Thanksgiving may be cool and rainy in many parts of the country, solar storms could bring a spectacle of northern lights to some areas in the U.S. Minor to moderate geomagnetic storms are expected on Thursday and Friday due to a filament eruption on Monday, sending high-energy plasma towards Earth, as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The intensity and duration of the auroras depend on the strength of the solar storms, possibly reaching G1 or G2 conditions. States such as Washington, Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Maine, as well as parts of Idaho, Wyoming, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire have a chance to witness the aurora borealis this holiday weekend.
The aurora borealis is most likely to be visible Thursday evening until early Friday, with viewers advised to track the latest activity and forecast on the NOAA’s Aurora Dashboard for the best viewing opportunities. Clear skies are essential for optimal viewing, with potential cloud cover limiting visibility in areas like the Northeast and New England. While the solar storms are not expected to cause major disruptions in communications systems, intense solar activity can make the northern lights visible at lower latitudes than usual.
The sun goes through 11-year cycles of activity, with an expected peak in July next year. This heightened solar activity has led to multiple instances this year where the northern lights have been visible further south than usual. Solar storms occur when coronal mass ejections from the sun interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, creating radiant auroras in the upper atmosphere.
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