If you've always wanted to see an aurora, this might be your chance! The northern lights are expected to shine across Canada on Thursday night, and some provinces could see a spectacular show.
A northern lights forecast says that a solar storm is headed in Earth's direction, with space weather forecasters expecting bright displays of the northern lights when it arrives.
According to The Weather Network, two coronal mass ejections are expected to arrive late on November 30. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G3 geomantic storm watch for Thursday night into Friday morning, meaning a "strong" storm is likely.
According to NOAA, a geomagnetic storm is a disturbance in Earth's magnetic field caused by changes in the stream of the solar wind or the passage of a solar storm.
During this disturbance, high-energy solar particles are funnelled down near the poles where they collide with the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the flashing light displays that we call the northern lights.
The stronger a geomagnetic storm is, the farther it tends to push the "arc" of the aurora borealis.
According to TWN, during a G3 geomagnetic storm like the one forecast, the northern lights can be seen pretty much across Canada and even in the U.S.
Typically, however, regions like Nova Scotia, southern Quebec, eastern Ontario and southwestern Ontario don't get much aurora activity, but TWN says that this time around, even those locations could catch a glimpse of the auroras just above the northern horizon.
3 CMEs already inbound; now the addition of a 4th prompted SWPC forecasters to upgrade the 1 Dec Watch to a G3. This faster-moving CME will likely merge with upstream CMEs & arrive at Earth on 1 Dec UTC-day making G3 levels possible. Visit https://t.co/9n7phHb5ok for more info.— (@)
An aurora viewing model by the NOAA shows that most of Canada will have a high likelihood of seeing an aurora, although parts of Southern Ontario appear just outside the predicted viewing line.
Other regions, however, can look to the skies on Thursday night to try to catch a glimpse of green, red or pink auroras.
If you miss your chance to see the aurora this time around, don't fret — according to forecasters, now, through the end of 2023 and the first half of 2024, we are nearing a period known as "solar maximum."
During this period, aurora displays are becoming more frequent and more intense. The trend will continue as we approach the solar maximum next year, creating more opportunities to see the northern lights — some of the best of the past 20 years, according to experts.
Canada is also home to many dark sky preserves and national parks that offer some of the best conditions to see the northern lights, so you'll likely get another chance to view them.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
The Northern Lights Could Be Visible Across Canada Tonight Due To A Solar Storm
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