While cloudy skies may have blocked views of the Northern Lights for many in the Chicago area Thursday, residents will have not one but two more chances to catch them. Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes explains.
While cloudy skies may have blocked views of the Northern Lights for many in the Chicago area Thursday, residents will have not one but two more chances to catch them.
And one looks to be better than the other.
Here's what to know:
When can you see the Northern Lights in Chicago?
According to the National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center, a G3 geomagnetic storm watch is in effect for several days after a series of coronal mass ejections (CME’s) from the sun earlier this week, which could make the Aurora Borealis visible across a wide swath of the United States.
The NBC 5 Storm Team reported a solar flare Thursday morning marked the biggest since 2017. While not all solar flares are followed by CME's, this one was.
The storm watch is in effect from overnight Friday through Sunday, with strong chances each night.
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Which days will be best for viewing?
The next chance to catch the display will be Friday night and into Saturday morning, where clearer conditions are expected. While the potential viewing line extends south of Chicago, the Aurora Borealis may not be as strong, however, meaning that using a phone camera may be a better way to see them, according to officials.
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The better chance for viewing comes Saturday night, however, viewers will want to check the cloud cover forecast as there is potential for rain overnight into Sunday morning.
What time should you look?
According to NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes, the best times for viewing will be between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. Saturday and from 10 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday. Rain isn't expected to begin until around 1 a.m. Sunday.
Jeanes noted that flares of "this magnitude can be impulsive, lasting from a few minutes to a few hours," meaning views of the Lights could fluctuate dramatically at any time.
What are the Northern Lights?
According to the SWPC, CME’s are “large explosions of plasma and magnetized particles from the Sun’s corona.” Those ejections expand in size as they approach Earth’s atmosphere, and can cause geomagnetic storms when they arrive.
The Northern Lights occur when those charged particles hit Earth’s magnetic field, interacting with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere and producing brilliant and wavy colors in the sky.
The Northern Lights are generally visible only at high altitudes, but instances like this week’s geomagnetic storm can cause those particles to be visible across greater distances.
