FILE - In this image taken with a long exposure, people look at the night sky towards the northern lights, or Aurora Borealis, May 10, 2024, in Estacada, Ore.
Image Credit: (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
September 12, 2024 - 7:00 PM
NEW YORK (AP) — Solar storms may bring faint but visible auroras to the Northern Hemisphere starting late Thursday and extending into early Friday morning.
But, experts say, don't expect power grids and communications to be disrupted much.
People in Canada and northern U.S. states like Alaska, Washington, Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota may be able to see faint colorful displays, according to the current space weather forecast.
If the moderate solar storms become more intense as nighttime approaches, people as far south as Illinois and New York might be able to glimpse the phenomenon.
“All the stars have to align” for that to happen, said Erica Grow Cei, spokesperson for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
To spy the spectacle, wait for skies to get dark. Then, go outside, ideally away from bright city lights. Taking a picture with a smartphone camera may also reveal hints of the aurora that aren't visible to the naked eye.
The sun’s magnetic field is at the peak of its 11-year cycle, making storms and aurora displays more frequent. Unusually strong solar storms in May produced vibrant aurora displays across the Northern Hemisphere.
Tonight's storms are expected to be less intense, but could cause brief disruptions to precision GPS machinery like what farmers use to harvest crops, Grow Cei said.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2024