Shooting stars and Northern Lights come to MI sky

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Michiganders got lucky back in May when a rare geomagnetic storm made the Northern Lights visible right here in Michigan—and they may have a chance to see them again.

However, right now, Michigan residents are getting a good chance to spot shooting stars because of three meteor showers that are overlapping.

“This time of year is really a good time of the year to look for shooting stars,” said John French, who works at Abrams Planetarium.

At the planetarium, you can see fragments of meteorites that have touched ground in Michigan over the years. Meteor showers happen every year, but experts tell 6 News there is something that makes Wednesday night’s opportunity a little bit different—the moon.

“When there’s a bright full moon it’s too bright to see some of these really faint meteor showers, but this year the moon is favorable so it’s not going to be in the way of lighting up the sky,” said French.

French says the sun is also in a specific active stage in its cycle, meaning we could see a return of an exciting view.

“The sun has just had kind of a big outburst and so there’s a heightened chance of auroral activity,” he said.

That means aurora borealis—or the Northern Lights—may be visible as well.

In May, many people enjoyed the bright colors going through the skies of Michigan, and in case you missed it, now’s your chance.

French says the best time to get a shot at seeing the lights and shooting stars is after midnight.

“Just get into a dark area, ya know, get away from bright city lights,” continued French. “If you can, get out into the countryside somewhere where it’s much darker.”

Although you probably won’t want to look away, it’s recommended to take a picture with your phone to see the colors better.

Don’t worry, the debris from the showers is similar to a rice krispie treat and will burn up before hitting the ground.

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