A “Cannibal” Solar Storm Is Bringing The Northern Lights To 18 States Tonight

If the excitement of the Olympics wasn’t enough, some of us are in for another incredible primetime show. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Space Weather Prediction Center issued a G3 storm watch on July 31 and August 1. Many states are potentially in the view line of the Aurora Borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights.

According to the NOAA , the northern lights “are the result of electrons colliding with Earth’s upper atmosphere.  When space weather activity increases, the aurora may be visible.”

If you live in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine, you might be able to see the magnificent light show.

“A number of complex sunspot groups are present on the visible solar disk and solar activity has increased, to include an R3 (strong) solar flare Sunday evening,” the NOAA said in a release. “A number of (coronal mass ejections) have been associated with the increased activity, and at least four of these have anticipated Earth-directed components, with possible arrivals beginning Tuesday on into Thursday.”

The Weather Must Cooperate To View The Northern Lights

The NOAA recommends finding a dark spot with limited light pollution to get a good look at the Northern Lights. Try to get to a higher vantage point if possible to see the show. Remember, you can only see the Northern Lights when the skies are clear.

Amazingly, according to People , taking a picture with a smartphone might actually give you the best view as it’s not as easy to see with your eyes.

The best time to see the Northern Lights will be between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here .

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