August has started heavy for skygazers. We are days away from August’s sturgeon full moon and the peak of the Perseids meteor shower. Before those celestial events get underway, however, it seems that another sighting of the aurora borealis is going to sneak in Thursday and Friday and may be visible in up to 18 US states.
Those states can be broken up into three categories. The first are states that will almost certainly see an aurora — if conditions allow — and include Alaska, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Next are the states that should at least see something, which include the northern portions of Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, Michigan and Maine.
Finally, the states that may see something under the best possible conditions will be Iowa, northern Nebraska, Illinois, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. The very northern reaches of Indiana and Ohio may see something, but it’s unlikely.
This week’s aurora comes to Earth courtesy of an M-class solar flare that the sun ejected on Tuesday. It was one of several solar flares observed in what has been a very active week for the sun, but this particular M-class flare was pointed right at Earth when it erupted. According to NOAA, the best times to see the aurora will be Thursday night into Friday morning, as that’s when the geomagnetic storm will be the strongest, but Friday night into Saturday morning will also be a good time for the states bordering Canada.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts a fairly active aurora on Aug. 7 and Aug. 8.
Tips for watching the northern lights
The standard space viewing tips apply. You’ll want to get away from the city and suburbs to eliminate light pollution. The darker it is, the better. NOAA also recommends viewing between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, as that is generally when activity is at its zenith. Finally, if you can swing it, you’ll want to get to an elevated position and look north for the best results.
Since we are within a few days of a full moon, the moon’s brightness may impact your ability to see things if you’re at the southern reaches of this aurora. In addition, the strength of the aurora is a forecast, and just like weather forecasts, it may be stronger or weaker than predicted.
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