A CME is expected to hit Earth Saturday evening, according to NOAA. Aurora borealis may be visible with the naked eye as far south as Northern PA, with much better much of seeing it through long-exposure photos. But of course cloud cover and light pollution play a major role in what we can see.
A maximum KP of 7.00 is forecast between the hours of 10 PM Saturday and 1 AM Sunday. This is ideal timing with last daylight just before 8 PM on the US East Coast. Best viewing time is estimated to be between 9 PM – 2 AM, with bursts and low periods of activity throughout. Sometimes we see delays.
Clear skies will reign supreme across Pennsylvania, with only a few clouds likely in the Northern Poconos and far Southwest PA. Also worth noting, we will have a last quarter moon this evening, meaning it will be 48% illuminated. Below is the cloud cover forecast for 10:00 PM Saturday evening.
AURORA BOREALIS FORECAST FOR SATURDAY NIGHT
With a KP of 7.00, the view line is along just north of I-80 and the 40° north latitude line across the US. This forecast is for viewing aurora with your eyes, rather than through a long exposure photo. As you can see, we have a low chance of being able to see it.
You may see photos and wonder why you couldn’t see what others saw, and it’s because those photos are taken through a camera which captures the maximum light exposure over the span of 3-15 seconds, through a lens that is extremely sensitive to light.
Still, many people enjoy capturing the northern lights with their cameras! This forecast is for Saturday night’s aurora viewing.
SATURDAY NIGHT’S AURORA VIEWING FORECAST
This is a special forecast map that takes into account cloud cover, light pollution, and KP index to give you the best idea of where to view the northern lights.
This map was made with the assumption the solar storm will impact Earth on Saturday evening. If it does not, aurora will not occur tonight.
Area A: Clear skies, a half moon, no light pollution, and an expected KP of 7.00 will result in fantastic aurora viewing conditions tonight mainly through the camera lens.
Area B: Clear skies, a half moon, low light pollution, and an anticipated KP of 7.00 will bring a great opportunity to capture aurora through your camera lens tonight.
Area C: Partly cloudy skies or light pollution, depending where you are, will cause suboptimal aurora viewing conditions. We suggest traveling to a nearby area with more favorable conditions.
This only happens a few times a year in a solar maximum, so don’t forget to share this article with friends and family!
You must be logged in to post a comment.