Northern Lights Are Coming To The US, So Prepare To See A Gorgeous Color Show
We've already had an awesome meteorite shower this year, but it looks like Mother Nature has another trick up her sleeve: the Aurora Borealis.
The Northern Lights are going to be more visible tonight than usual.
Over the course of this evening, the show can be seen by people in Canada, northern America, Scotland and some parts of England.
WOOP. Ain't no party like a space show party.
The best time to view this bad boy looks to be between 2 to 3 am (UT), according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center.
Here's how it looks at 8 pm:
11 pm:
2:30 am:
8:30 am:
Explaining the satellite images, a spokesperson said,
Note that the aurora will not be visible during daylight hours; however, the aurora can often be observed within an hour before sunrise or after sunset. The red line at about 1,000 km equatorward of the brightest aurora indicates how far away viewers on the ground might see the aurora assuming good viewing conditions.
A G2 alert has been issued for this evening by space weather forecasters (can we talk about how cool that job sounds?).
That's the second-lowest alert on geomagnetic storm scale, so nothing to worry about.
Sometimes these space storms have the power to interfere with technology here on Earth, such as radio communications and GPS systems.
In space, the accelerated particles which cause the Northern Lights have been known to damage equipment.
What are the Northern Lights?
So glad you asked.
They're the result of electrons colliding with the Earth's atmosphere. These electrons get energized as they follow the Earth's magnetic field to the Polar regions where they collide with oxygen and nitrogen molecules and atoms.
The electrons's energy is transferred in this collision, and the awesome lights we see are formed when the molecules and atoms relax and release this energy.
Citations: Look up tonight! Dazzling Northern Lights display could reach millions across the world this evening (MailOnline), AURORA - 30 MINUTE FORECAST (Space Weather Prediction Center)
