Portions of the northern United States are in for a treat this weekend due to a solar flare making the Northern Lights more visible to residents as early as Saturday night.
The lights, normally seen in the U.S. only in Alaska, could be visible as far south as Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Oregon, but scientists expect the lights to be most visible in the New England region, Montana, and Washington. They are expected to be visible both Saturday and Sunday.
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A solar flare erupted Thursday and is expected to reach the Earth on Saturday. The flare caused a large group of solar-charged particles to come toward the Earth, which makes the lights more visible in the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The NOAA issued a G3 geomagnetic storm watch this weekend for the solar flare. Although the storm is not harmful to humans, NOAA listed possible interference with electronics, such as voltage irregularities, false alarms on protection devices, and interruptions to navigation and radio signals as possible side effects. However, NOAA said in its storm watch that “impacts to our technology from G3 storms are usually nominal.”
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Those who want a better chance to see the lights are encouraged to leave large cities or places with a lot of bright lights. The NOAA has a 30-minute forecast available of where the lights are shining brightest.
