Displays of aurora peak at the . On Friday, a massive sunspot erupted on the sun, which created what scientists call a coronal mass ejection and is headed straight for our planet tonight. California residents do not sell my data request. PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The chances are slim, but early Thursday morning, the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, may be visible in Pennsylvania. Lancaster Mennonite wins district championship, Millersburg wins first District title in over 30, Midstate school donating diapers to help families, Friendship Communitys Annual Art Auction, Middle and Upper School Program at Harrisburg Academy, Valerie Pritchetts Maple BBQ Chicken & Oatmeal Chocolate, Whats Happening at the West Shore Theatre, Neuropathy with Madeira Chiropractic Wellness Center. Example video title will go here for this video. In 2011, NOAA (NCEIandSWPC) developed a real-time version of the OVATION model to forecast the location and intensity of the aurora. al., developed the OVATION model. Its billed as The Last. With Northern Lights, you can get a live aurora borealis forecast app for any location in the world. During geomagnetic storms, the ovals expand away from the poles and give some lucky people in the United States an ethereal sky show theyll never forget. Northern Lights may be visible across the northern United States tonight, Ohio couple charged in Adams Co. for voting twice in two general elections, Despite COVID-19, South Africa to hold key local polls, 'Executive Business Challenge' features fun test for area leaders, Ron DeSantis will win reelection as Florida governor, CNN projects, James Cameron says 'Avatar 2' is 'more emotional' than the original, US unemployment claims rise after hitting pandemic low. Northern lights forecast. The Top Secret Beach In Pennsylvania That Will Make Your Summer Complete, Theres An Incredible Meteor Shower Happening This Week And Pennsylvania Has A Front Row Seat, The Sinister Story Behind This Pennsylvania Lake Will Give You Chills, The One Hikeable Lake In Pennsylvania Thats Simply Breathtaking In The Fall, The Pennsylvania Beach Thats Unlike Any Other In The World, The Underrated Pennsylvania Lake Thats Perfect For A Summer Day, Unwind At This Tranquil Natural Oasis Hiding In Pennsylvanias Oldest Town, 10 Amazing Lake Trips You Need To Take In Pennsylvania This Summer. Earlier this week, the sun produced a solar flare and corresponding CME (coronal mass ejection) which is projected to impact the Earth tonight and into Saturday. The lights appear in many forms from patches or scattered clouds of light to streamers, arcs, rippling curtains or shooting rays that light up the sky with an eerie glow. The difference in the aurora borealis forecast is the upgrade in the storm from a G2 (moderate) to G3 (strong) level, which can push the aurora far south. Share the news so your family and friends have a chance of seeing mother natures beauty by using the icons below! The Northern Lights form an oval band around the magnetic poles of the Earth. March 31, 2022 at 12:10 p.m. EDT. the aurora borealis . Get more stories delivered right to your email. 2 Hour Kp Max. After solar storms, the auroral oval surrounding geomagnetic poles dips down, explaining why someone in northern Minnesota may see the auroras, but theyre not visible to someone along the same latitude in northern Washington state. BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Where in PA Can You See the Northern Lights? The northern lights appear over western Michigan in 2015. Three weeks ago, the Northern Lights, a phenomenon that sees ethereal streamers of colored light pirouette across the night sky, made a rare appearance in the Lower 48, coloring the skies in places like Wisconsin and Michigan. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Get the full Aurora forecast from the Space Weather Prediction Center here. Best Places in the US to See the Northern Lights. "It is rare that we get a magnetic storm powerful enough to allow us to see the northern lights in Pennsylvania, but it appears we may get that chance," NBC10 First Alert Weather meteorologist Bill Henley said. Northern Lights Forecast . MacholandRedmon(NCEI) developed the real-time ovation model. CNN . On Friday, a massive sunspot erupted on the sun, which created what scientists call a "coronal mass ejection" and is headed straight for our planet tonight. Auroras were reported as far south as Colorado, appearing as intense red. (Image credit: Luke Kilpatrick) There are also plenty of options for good aurora viewing in North . LifeFamilyFun.com makes no claims of expert status and the owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the use of the information found on this website. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 11 Amazing Tree House Resort Options for Families, 25 Delicious Protein Banana Bread Recipes for Any Occasion. (WHTM) Pennsylvania residents may get a chance to see the Northern Lights this week due to a geomagnetic storm. Photographing the aurora. The best bet to catch the aurora borealis is to get as far away from city lights as possible and look north. While Cherry Springs State Park promises a spectacular view of the Northern Lights in Pennsylvania, here are seven more spots that are perfect for an evening of stargazing. Aurora borealis seen as far south as Dorset lights up Britain's skies for the second night running (and Easyjet pilot performs a 360 so passengers can enjoy glorious Arctic display) Monday night . Forecast: Auroral activity will be high (+). The area of a visible aurora is greater because it can be seen at spots other than 90 degrees directly up (straight above your head). Friction is a great analogy, Stephen Kaeppler, assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Clemson University in South Carolina, and principal investigator for the NASA mission, said in a blog post on the agencys website. Make sure you have our Facebook page liked by clicking here>>>PA Weather Action on Facebook! The northern lights will appear as streaks or cloud-like patches of light. It has a mountaintop view where you can often get a 360 look at the natural beauty. At a distance about 2500 km from these poles, the probability for seeing auroras is almost 100 %. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Space Weather Prediction Center, once these particles meet Earths magnetic field Wednesday night, the result will be a G3 geomagnetic storm. Here is a dashboard for all of you Aurora Hunters trying to see the Northern Lights tonight. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'paweatheraction_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',152,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-paweatheraction_com-medrectangle-4-0'); A significant snowstorm is less than 12 hours away from impacting the area. Aurora borealis was not visible early Thursday in the Lehigh Valley, but there's a chance the northern lights could be seen tonight. Rare, all-red auroras are produced by high-altitude oxygen, at heights of up to 200 miles. The Northern Lights over St Andrews in Scotland (Photo: Payton Cooney/St Leonard's School/PA) By Alex Finnis. Much of Pennsylvania, Ohio and the northern panhandle of West Virginia could catch a glimpse of the northern lights. Aurora can often be observed somewhere on Earth from just after sunset or just before sunrise. February 27, 2023 12:33 pm . December is usually an ideal time to check it out, but that might vary depending on the year. Choose your view: National Weather Service. Studying the aurora in Canada. To get the best view of the Northern Lights, wait for a dark, clear night. Even so, many astronomers choose to stay overnight, so there are concrete telescope pads with electricity and limited Wi-Fi. The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. Design by. The original model, based solely onDMSPdata, was only reliable to Kp of 7. If youre on a mountain away from light pollution, youll get the best results. Charged particles (coronal mass ejection) from the solar flare will reach the earth Sun. Yet, like the Poconos, these sightings arent guaranteed. The aurora . 51.02K. Usually only Scotland and parts of northern . Only one show consistently promises not to disappoint: the nighttime sky, especially during the Northern Lights. According to Space.com, the geomagnetic storms will result from interactions between the strong solar wind blowing from a hole in the upper atmosphere of the Sun, called the corona, and the Earths magnetic field.. Here is a look at the map that shows the intensity of the NOAA Geographic Storm Index needed for those CMEs to be visible in our region (The area above the red line). The forecast lead time is the time it takes for the solar wind to travel from the L1 observation point to Earth. This is a short-term forecast of the location and intensity of the aurora. Love Pennsylvania? A large solar flare on Thursday could cause a strong geo-magnetic storm making the Aurora. 4639 Cherry Springs Road There have been several years where the Northern Lights were visible at this park, but its not as consistent as Cherry Springs State Park. Star watchers are more likely to see the aurora if theyre at a high latitude closer to the north or south pole. "Weather permitting, highly active auroral displays will be visible overhead from Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin and Iqaluit, to Portland OR, Cheyenne, Lincoln, Springfield, and New York City, and visible low on the horizon as far south as Carson City, Oklahoma City, and Raleigh," the institute said in its Aug. 18 North America forecast. Cherry Springs State Park According to the National Weather Service, a geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for parts of the northern United States due to a series of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) that have been ejected by the sun in recent days. Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is an astronomical phenomenon that causes colorful lights to appear in the sky. These links provide a discussion of the aurora phenomena and tips for the best opportunities to view aurora at various locations around the world. The northern lights may be visible in northern portions of the United States, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Thursday and Friday due to a strong geomagnetic storm in the Earth's atmosphere. A stunning display of the Northern Lights . As the National Weather Service explains the phenomenon, the lights glow similarly to how a neon sign lights up when electrons pass through inert gas.. This map from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center shows what Planetary K Index is needed for lights to be viewed. Its billed as The Last. Final report on deadly helicopter crash in Wyoming County, Man arrested in 2020 Lycoming County shooting, Photographer captures time-lapse of Northern Lights in Sullivan County, How to watch one of the best meteor showers of the year, Listen to the sounds of the universe Skywatch 16, NASA releases new Webb telescope images showing Jupiter like never before. 3-Day Forecast (Mar 1 to Mar 3) The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet to minor storm levels on Mar 2 (01 Mar), quiet to unsettled levels on Mar 3 . The solar flare Monday was an M4 strength event on a scale of M1 to M9. That could drive the Kp index an indicator of the strength of the Aurora Borealis to 7, which is the level required for people in northernmost Pennsylvania to spot the strange lights in the sky. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. The storms are also a potential worry for airlines, which will have to monitor radiation levels and potentially reroute planes. Parts of Pennsylvania may be able to view the Northern Lights on July 16 and 17, 2017. An airplane crosses the night sky early on Aug. 18, 2022 . The green ovals turn red when the aurora is forecasted to be more intense. This means in general that in these latitudes, the Aurora should occur on at least half of the nights throughout the year. After all, its such a unique sight that youll want to make sure you check it off your bucket list. The forecast lead time is the time it takes for the solar wind to travel from the L1 observation point to Earth. AuroraMap is a live Northern Lights forecast map. (WKBN) - The northern lights are possible tonight as a G3 (Strong) geomagnetic storm watch has been issued. The Northern Lights may be visible in Pennsylvania on Thursday, Dec. 10, as a result of a geomagnetic storm that will extend the range of the aurora borealis further south than usual. Between 4am and 5pm there is generally too much daylight to see the aurora - exceptions are the darkest months of the year and higher latitudes such Svalbard, where it is dark 24/7 from mid-Nov to end of Jan. PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Northern Lights could be visible this weekend if we get a break from the rain. All rights reserved. 2. Friction is a constant in the boundary layer where neutral atmosphere and plasma meet, but active auroras intensify everything. Check out his photo below. The shapes and colors of the Northern Lights are caused by energized ions and atoms that collide with the atmosphere. The Aurora might be visible at 45 degrees, 30 degrees or even lower on the horizon depending on its brightness. An estimate of aurora viewing probability can be derived by assuming a linear relationship to the intensity of the aurora. "It is rare that we get a magnetic storm powerful enough to allow us to see the northern lights in Pennsylvania, but it appears we may get that chance tonight," NBC10 First Alert Weather meteorologist Bill Henley said. Geomagnetic storms, like hurricanes, are ranked on a 1-5 scale of severity with 5 being the strongest. The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, will be limited locally. If the events are strong enough, they could be seen as far south as the Lehigh Valley. It could push the boundary layer closer to the ground, raise it higher or even cause it to fold in on itself. Geographic location and geomagnetic activity can increase your chances of seeing the northern lights. 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