The northern lights are expected to be visible in more than a dozen states this week due to a high amount of activity in Earth’s geomagnetic field.
The aurora borealis may be visible Wednesday and Thursday night in parts of Washington state, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, Massachusetts and Maryland, according to the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute.
Major cities that could get to take in the sights include Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Helena, Boise, Cheyenne, Indianapolis and Annapolis.
As long as night skies remain clear, people are most likely to witness the celestial display between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
“Aurora is the name given to the glow or light produced when electrons from space flow down Earth’s magnetic field and collide with atoms and molecules of the upper atmosphere in a ring or oval centered on the magnetic pole of Earth,” according to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center.
This triggers a geomagnetic storm in parts of the globe and creates the neon-green waves that ripple across the sky.
Those interested in catching a glimpse of the northern lights should find a place with little light pollution and as high an elevation as possible.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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