Multiple major solar flares over the last few days will cause the largest geomagnetic storm in nearly two decades tonight into the weekend. The storm is already impacting the Earth, currently in Europe as this article is being typed around 5:30 PM Eastern on Friday. Areas as far south as parts of India and Croatia observed the Northern Lights, and the storm is expected to continue its intensity as it makes its way over North America tonight.
Here is a current image of Switzerland thanks to foto-webcam.eu. They have a variety of cameras in beautiful locations around Europe, which can be accessed here.
It is unclear whether or not we will have another aurora borealis episode Saturday night, but unfortunately cloudy skies will be overhead regardless.
The ball is in Mother Nature’s court tonight, and some parts of Pennsylvania are expected to have good viewing conditions while other areas will not, similar to the recent total solar eclipse. But even if mostly clear skies occur, you will need to be in a darker location to be able to see the Northern Lights with the naked eye. Most of the pictures we see of aurora borealis in Pennsylvania are long exposure, which captures maximum light over the span of around 20 seconds.
Importance of Darker Skies
Below is a darkness map of Pennsylvania, which of course does not vary on the day. You will want to be in an area at least shaded in yellow, with green or blue being optimal. If you’re in orange, you have a low chance of seeing the Northern Lights with the naked eye, and red and white have almost no chance.
TONIGHT’S (5/10-11/24) AURORA BOREALIS FORECAST
To preface the forecast, it’s important to mention that Northern PA will have a better chance of seeing the Northern Lights with the naked eye than Southern PA. We are almost always too far south to see colors without a long exposure photo. So don’t be surprised if you see picture of the Northern Lights in PA, even though you weren’t able to see them with your eyes.’
Area A: Mostly clear skies expected between 10 PM – 2 AM, making for optimal viewing conditions. The best opportunely to see the Northern Lights with the naked eye will be in Northwest PA, away from city lights.
Area B: Partly cloudy skies expected between 10 PM – 2 AM, making for decent viewing conditions. The best opportunely to see the Northern Lights with the naked eye will be in the PA Wilds.
Area C: Mostly cloudy skies expected with a few showers between 10 PM – 2 AM, resulting in poor viewing conditions.
Don’t forget to share this forecast with friends and family who may be interested in the Northern Lights!
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