(DAN WALTON / iNFOnews.ca)

The stars are aligning for a nearly perfect opportunity to witness the northern lights in the Thompson Okanagan tonight, Oct. 30.

The sun was observed ejecting a coronal mass on Oct. 28 which is expected to result in an aurora borealis event this weekend.

The website auroraforecast.com is predicting the level of aurora activity will reach 10 out of 10 on its scale.

READ MORE: iN PHOTOS: Thompson-Okanagan residents capture northern lights

Fog and low-forming clouds are typical in the evening during this time of year, said Dave Wray, meteorologist with Environment Canada. But fortunately, the air is dry enough to prevent that from happening this weekend, he said.

“For your best bet to view the lights, the higher elevation the better, and away from city lights.”

Wray said after the sun goes down tonight – which will happen at 5:38 p.m. in Kelowna – the sky is expected to remain clear until 2 to 3 a.m., with “patchy” clouds expected to appear around 4 or 5 a.m.

One of the only conditions that could be better for tonight’s light show is the position of the moon, which will be 31% illuminated in a waning crescent. Similar to light pollution, moonlight also dims the visibility of the phenomenon. But with only five days until the next new moon on Nov. 4 it will not make a big difference in the sky this weekend, he said.

For the best viewpoints looking north, Kristin Smart from Tourism Kelowna has a few recommendations. For relatively easy hikes to reach the best viewpoints, she said Rose Valley Regional Park in West Kelowna and Knox Mountain in Kelowna are both good options. 

READ MORE: Aurora Borealis expected to put on show in Okanagan, Kamloops this weekend

Hiking to the top of Mount Boucherie could be a good idea, Smart said, although it is surrounded by West Kelowna’s urban areas and Kelowna is located to the north so light pollution is unavoidable.

For more of a challenging hike, she said Pincushion Mountain in Peachland would be offer great views for the northern lights.

Smart suspects the Spion Kop trail in Lake Country will be also offer great views, where hikers can see three different lakes all from the same vantage point.

In Penticton, Munson Mountain is only a few kilometres from the city centre and requires a very short hike to the top. Anybody attending this location won’t escape all the light pollution but it’s an easy lookout to reach.

Last year, photographer Nick Clements told INFOnews Oyama is a great place for sky watchers to escape the Okanagan’s light pollution.

In Kamloops, Kamloops Photographers Facebook group members recommended Bachelor Heights and the viewpoint on Columbia Street as good locations to see the Northern Lights.

An Earthbound coronal mass ejection is expected to arrive today, Oct. 30.

Image Credit: www.aurorawatch.ca

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