Northern lights may arrive just in time for New Year’s Eve: When, where and how to watch in the US

New Year’s Eve

is set to begin with nature’s brilliant display of lights in the northern part of the United States. A

geomagnetic storm

could bring the

northern lights

into view across the northern US as early as the sunrise, or after nightfall on New Year’s eve, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For those who may miss this, the phenomenon will again occur after sunset on New Year’s Day.
The two bursts of plasma expelled by the sun moving toward the Earth may spark colorful auroras in Alaska, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.

It may also be visible in Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Iowa and New York.
According to NOAA space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl, early morning hours on Tuesday have the best chance of producing a light show.

What are northern lights?

Nature’s spectacular phenomenon, The Northern Lights or

aurora borealis

light up the night sky in beautiful patterns of green, pink and scarlet, enchanting skygazers with its mesmerizing appeal.
Whereas southern lights also known as aurora australis are seen in latitudes near the South Pole.
According to the BBC, the lowest part of an aurora is typically 50 miles (80 km) above the Earth’s surface while the highest part could be 150 miles (800km) above it.

This beautiful display of lights occurs when the

charged particles from the sun

hit gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. They occur around the North Pole when the solar wind carrying the particles interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field. The most magnificent ones take place when the Sun sends large clouds of particles called “coronal mass ejections” which can send up to a million tonnes of charged particles. In simple words, they are caused by

solar storms

and giant flares from the sun, which send blasts of charged particles towards our planet, which then turns into this brilliant display of colourful and enchanting lights.

Where to see the aurora

The aurora will be visible from parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. It may also be visible from Northern Oregon, the lower Midwest and central New England.

How to watch the aurora

The best way to catch the northern lights is to head north as most of the molecular activity that causes the northern lights happens near the Earth’s magnetic poles.
Go to an area where there is little light pollution away from city lights. If the aurora is not visible to you, try using a phone camera to capture them. The new moon phase could make it difficult for onlookers to spot colours. The arrival of northern lights can be tracked on the website of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.