The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has just issued a geomagnetic storm watch for tonight following the detection of a significant solar eruption early Sunday morning.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) alerted the public to the coronal mass ejection (CME) yesterday on Twitter. The agency reassures that the general public need not worry, but the CME might make the northern lights visible in several states in the upcoming days.
A CME was observed lifting off the Sun on 20 Jan and is expected to cause up to G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storming on 22-23 Jan (UTC days). A watch has been issued. pic.twitter.com/2yH6ofmedi
— NOAA Space Weather (@NWSSWPC) January 21, 2024
NASA’s forecasts indicate that the CME is expected to reach Earth on January 22nd after 1800 UT. NOAA’s recently released model concurs with this prediction. The arrival of the CME could trigger G2-class geomagnetic storms, creating conditions where auroras might be visible as far south as the mountains of North Carolina.
According to Alaska’s Geophysical Institute, the aurora should peak tonight between 1am to 4am in the darkest part of the night’s sky.
Northern Lights lit up the North Carolina sky for the third time of 2023 on Nov. 5th after an exceptionally powerful CME from the sun blasted our magnetosphere, similar to what is expected to happen tonight.
One of the most epic shots you’ll ever see of the #northernlights and the #MilkyWay This was over Waynesville, NC last night. Thanks for the photo Ezekiel Coppersmith. #scwx #ncwx pic.twitter.com/t1lWFfE2Py
— Ed Piotrowski (@EdPiotrowski) November 6, 2023
If you want to get your own shots of the stunning aurora tonight, you’ll need a long-exposure camera and a very dark place where you have an unobstructed view toward the northern sky. The best place would be a remote mountain top along the blue ridge parkway with north-facing views.
You can find the dark spots in your area using the official light pollution map here.
Happy aurora hunting!