A fresh burst of solar energy is heading toward Earth potentially lighting up the night across the northern United States late Thursday.
After a week of intense “geomagnetic activity around the spring equinox,” space weather forecasters believe a new display is arriving.
The Space Weather Prediction Center notes that a “glancing blow from a coronal mass ejection” launched earlier this week could trigger a G1-level solar storm.
While the sun’s activity has recently quieted, this incoming “blob of solar stuff” may be enough to push the aurora borealis far enough south for millions to see.
Experts suggest that the “period of several weeks before and after the equinox is known to increase the chances” of these displays due to the way Earth’s magnetic field aligns with the sun.
Residents in states like Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine have the best chance of seeing the glow. Faint displays might also reach Washington, Idaho, Vermont and New Hampshire.
To catch the show, look north between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. in areas away from city lights.
