GREENSBORO, N.C. — We all remember the spectacular light show from May when the Northern Lights danced in the sky in a surprising way. Could that happen again? Probably not to that extent, but another push of solar energy is arriving to Earth Monday night into Tuesday morning. This solar energy is what makes the Northern Lights, or Aurora, visible on the horizon. There is a chance - but not a guarantee - it may be visible for some across the United States again, and maybe North Carolina. Here's what we're tracking.
A Low Chance for North Carolina, Better Chance for the North
This should come as no surprise, but it's hard to see Northern Lights in the South. May was an extraordinary exception! Still, they do happen from time to time.
The forecast for Monday night from the Space Weather experts at NOAA shows the Northern Lights as being viewable across the Northern United States, Great Lakes, and Midwest with low chances for the Mid-Atlantic, Virginia, and North Carolina.
With an event like this, typically you need to have a very dark sky, places like the Outer Banks or the North Carolina/Virginia Blue Ridge mountains have the best conditions to try and see.
Viewing Tips
Remember, here in North Carolina our chance of seeing Northern Lights is low this time. But, if you want to try your luck, here's how to increase your chances.
- Get to a dark sky. This means away from city lights.
- Allow time for your eyes to adjust. Sometimes it takes 10-15 minutes for our areas to see better in the night sky.
- Use your phone's "night mode" to see if anything is showing up. These long exposures can pick up more color than our eyes.
- Our odds are low, but based on the forecast, the best time to try your luck would be between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. Tuesday.
Another Solar Storm, But Not as Strong as May
A large burst of solar energy known as a Coronal Mass Ejection is heading to Earth. These CMEs interact with the Earth's magnetic field creating the colorful Northern Lights that many of us saw back in May. This time, the energy is not as strong and widespread as it was back in May.
NOAA rates these solar storms using a scale called a Kp scale which rates 1-9. May was a 9, which is why we saw them so well in North Carolina! This time around, the forecast is for a 5-6 most of the night, peaking around a 7 after sunrise Tuesday morning. Usually, a 5-6 Kp will produce some Aurora in dark locations in the mountains, and a 7 will give us a chance in dark parts of the Piedmont.
The problem is, sunrise. Sunrise happens at 6:30 a.m. and it starts getting light by around 6 a.m. The current forecast doesn't have the energy reaching a 7 until after sunrise for us. So our chance of seeing the Northern Lights in the Piedmont is low.
Here's what the Northern Lights looked like back in May here in Greensboro, NC.
Clouds Could Be an Issue Too
We've had scattered rain throughout the day on Monday, and more will be on the way. Our WFMY forecast models show at least scattered clouds across the area overnight which would limit any viewing.
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