Could NC see the northern lights again this week? Here’s when & why it might happen

After intense geomagnetic activity triggered auroras last week , North Carolinians may have another opportunity to see the northern lights Thursday night.

The dazzling lights in the forecast will be the result of a coronal mass ejection that erupted from the Sun on Oct. 8, according to an alert from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center.

Coronal mass ejections are large emissions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun’s corona into space, according to EarthSky.org .

The northern lights “may become visible over much of the northern half of the country, and maybe as far south as Alabama to northern California,” the NOAA alert reads.

As of Thursday morning, the University of Alaska at Fairbanks’ online forecasting tool said the strongest geomagnetic activity — which means the best chance for seeing the northern lights — coming up is Thursday night and Friday morning (Oct. 10-11) between 8 a.m. and 2 a.m. , when there will be “high” activity.

But you an start looking for the lights “as soon as it gets dark,” WRAL Meteorologist Mike Maze said in a Facebook post .

Here’s what you need to know.

Will the northern lights be visible in NC?

The likelihood of the northern lights being visible in North Carolina depends on the severity of the storm .

The stronger the geomagnetic activity, the more intense the aurora and the farther south in the Northern Hemisphere it can be seen, the News & Observer reported .

In May, a G5 (extreme) solar storm caused auroras that were visible in much of the U.S., including North Carolina. While the upcoming storm is forecasted to be G4 (severe), there is a small chance that it could be upgraded to a G5, making the light show visible further south, EarthSky.org says .

NOAA has an experimental aurora forecast it updates daily and there are smartphone apps that estimate the chance of seeing aurora based on your location. People have reported seeing northern lights even when forecasts show a low chance.

What’s the best way to see the northern lights?

▪ The aurora doesn’t need to be directly overhead; it can be seen from more than 600 miles away if conditions are right.

▪ Get away from city light pollution if possible, and away from buildings that block your view of the horizon.

▪ The lights can’t be seen in the daytime. A few hours after sunset, look due north and watch for shades of green, pink, red, yellow, blue and violet. Scientists say the colors are often most intense around midnight.

▪ Sometimes a camera lens will pick up aurora even when the naked eye can’t perceive the colors.

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