If you glanced upward last night and saw streaks of green, pink, or purple dancing across the sky, you weren’t imagining things— residents in the Philadelphia region reported sightings of the aurora borealis on Tuesday night. And the great news: you may get another chance to see the Northern Lights tonight!
The key? Head out after dark, find a spot away from the city lights, and keep your eyes on the northern sky between roughly 8 p.m. and 1 a.m. (Eastern Time). According to space-weather experts, the most intense glow often appears after midnight.
✨ When will the Northern Lights be visible tonight?
Luckily for us, if you missed last’s night rare display, tonight’s your chance to see the magic. In fact, forecasters have issued a severe geomagnetic storm warning (G4 level) for both Tuesday and Wednesday.
That means charged particles from solar eruptions are currently pushing Earth’s magnetic field into high gear, creating a chance for the aurora to extend much farther south than usual…including into our Philly area.
However, clouds and light pollution could possibly spoil the view, so check the skies and maybe bring a friend for better odds.
✨ What causes Northern Lights?
As magical as they are, there’s a science behind it all. Here’s a simple breakdown.
The sun periodically hurls out vast clouds of plasma, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), that race towards Earth.
When these charged particles slam into our planet’s magnetosphere, they funnel down toward the poles and collide with particles in the upper atmosphere.
The result is glowing curtains of light known as aurora borealis, aka the Northern Lights.
During periods of solar maximum the chances of seeing auroras at lower latitudes increases. You can learn more about auroras here.
✨ Why Philly is getting in on this rare show
Typically, the Northern Lights are reserved for far-north locales like Alaska or Scandinavia. But in the wake of today’s strong solar storm, the “auroral oval” has shifted southward.
For Philly and the surrounding regions, that means we have the chance to witness something we usually don’t get to see.
Moreover, local meteorologists have confirmed that if the skies clear and solar particles stay strong, we could be treated to another round of sky magic tonight.
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